Pioneering In The Far East

THE

COLONIAL HISTORY
SERIES

General Editor
D. H. Simpson

Librarian of the Royal CornrnonweaUh Society

PIONEERING IN THE FAR EAST

PIONEERING
IN THE EAR EAST

tv:r|

ANI>

JOURNEYS TO CALIFORNIA IN 184.9

AND TO

THE WHITE SEA IN 1878

U 'J 1/

BY

LUDVIG YERNER HELMS

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS FROM ORIfilNAL SKETCHES AND PHOTOGRAPHS

DAWSONS 01 PALL MAI L

London

First published in London 1882

Reprinted 1969

DAWSONS OF PALL MALL
16 Pall M#, London, S.W.l

SBN: 7129 0387 9

Printed in Oreat Britain
by Photolilhography
Unwin Brothers lAvm^ted
Woking and London

f ^ A^rcbaeologrcal Li^raty.

/ff. Ke, *-

Call No

HtL

PREFACE.

The experiences of a life spent in mercantile adven-
tures liardly seem to contain sufficient interest to
warrant their being made the subject of a book.
Neither training nor acquirements had qualified me
to be a scientific recorder of the wonders of the
Eastern Archipelago, and I have not attempted to
figure as such, but have merely tried to put down, as
simply as possible, some account of five and twenty
years spent among its islands. Yet I venture to
hope that the story of my life will not be devoid of
some information, and there are two topics on
which I can claim to speak with an intimate know-
ledge, and on one of which I feel bound to record
my testimony.

The future of Borneo is just now forcing itself
anew upon the consideration of the English public.
The early efforts to develop the resources of the
north-west of Borneo may be fairly referred to, both

VI

PEIPAC®.

for the warnings and the encouragements which
they convey. On this I can speak of what I know.

As to another subject, I may seem to awaken
slumbering controversies and challenge hostile
opinion. The references to the dispute between
two men, both of whom I knew and admired —
Rajah Brooke and his nephew, Captain Brooke —
will be uninteresting to many and displeasing to
some, but there are also those who will remember
and who were interested in their careers, and who
will see that I have attempted, though somewhat
late, to do an act of justice. As one who shared the
intimacy of Rajah Brooke, I hold that his whole
life will stand out as great and heroic, and such a
man can bear the imputation of errors in judgment,
and wiU not need to have his faults shielded. It
has been my object, while doing full justice to Sir
James Brooke, to deal fairly also with the memory
of his gallant nephew, who no less devoted his life
and sacrificed his fortunes to the cause of civilising
Borneo.

L. V. H.

The Chrmst

Thomim Emih*

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Suttee In Bali . ' . * . *

To fme p.

61

Saa Fmacisco, ia 1849 . • '*

n ''

79

Audience of tlie King of Cambodia

n

105

Maps of Borneo . . . , ■ : , .

Boats carrying Qnicksilfer on the Stoat

.n

123

Eiver , . . . . • •

ff

140

Land Dyak House . . : ■ .

' 9f

145

Do. ■ do. •. ■ .

79

147

Land Dyaks . . . ..

The Borneo Company’s Steamer retaking

>9

149

Sarawak . .■ . ■ . , . . ■ : .

99

183

The Manager’s Bungalow at the Mines

99

243

Pay-day at the Quicksilver Mines ’

99 ■

245

The ^^^:¥estfold’^ .. , ■■■ . • . i,

337

Horthcsape :aad, Mager 0, seen from the East

99

345

Vadso : . , . . ....

. :99 ' .

346

Workmen employed on Bear Island

.■ n

3^

The Honse, of.' Peter the Great .at Archangel

n . '

357

Barges in the Harbour of Archangel ' .
Stranding of the “.Vestfold.” on the Coast

3^

of Lapland . ■. ■ , ■ , • ■

n

363

Bear Island . ."i.

99 ■

867

Bamojeden . . > .

99

869

Bear Island : “ Vestfold ” at. Anchor .

99

871

Monument found on Bear Island . .

99

872

LIST OF ILLTJSTBATIONS.

viii

The Copper Mines at Enssenika, the extreme
astern point of Lapland • ■

Pumping the “ Hope ” Mine .

The Old Galleries in the Mine

The Tillage Hmba, on the White Sea .

The ‘Village Poria Guba ....
A. Samojeden Hnt . • • • •

Map of Lapland . . • • •

To face p. 377
380

„ 384

„ 386

„ 388

390

„ 400

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER

I.

The Island of Bali

• •

.

n.

^ r '

CHAPTER

\

Oalifoenia in 1850

.

.

c::' ■

CHAPTER

III.

Cambodia and Siam

CHAPTER

IV.

X "

Bobneo

CHAPTER

V.

£

■Revisitino Bali

•

•

CHAPTER

VI.

:y

£1^

Bobneo (continued) •

CHAPTER

VII.

A Brief Visit to China and Japan
CHAPTER Vm.
California Revisited .

The White Sea

CHAPTER IX.

nm

1

72

94.

123

196

204

257

302

329

EEEATA.

page 199, line 1, /or “know” read “renew.”
page 209, line 1, for “ sion ” read “ mission. ’
page 241, line 28, for “trade, in” read “trading.”
page 249, line 6, for “work” read “open up.”
page 256, line 14, omit “easily.”

PIONEERING

IN THE FAR EAST.

CHAPTER 1.

THE ISLAND OF BALI.

In September 1846 I left my native land, Denmark,
to seek my fortunes in the world.

It seems strange, in these days of screw-steamers
and swift travelling by land and sea, to recall tbe
long and wearisome voyage on board the Johanna
CcBsar, as the little brig in which I had embarked
was called. Seven days of pleasant sailing brought
us into narrow seas within close view of white cliffs
looking whiter still in the morning sun. I looked at
them with great interest when I was told that they
were the cliffs of Dover, and knew that I was taking
my first view of England. In company with eighty-
five other ships, we beat down channel, narrowly
escaping collision. Pour days later, we found our-
selves in the latitude of Bordeaux. Then came a

2' IN THB FAB EAST*

change o£ wind, and we were driven back on our
course. The waves washed over the deck of our little
vessel as we scudded along ; the hatches were bat-
tened down, the man at the helm was securely lashed
to the wheel, where, amidst the wildest tossings, he
might comfortably assure himself that, if the ship
went to the bottom, he would stiU be at hri post;
and the passengers, nine in number, including my-
self, were stowed away in a wretched hutch, called
the cabin, half dead from sickness, exhaustion, and
fear. There we were day after day, night after
night, in that pestiferous hole, with nothing to cheer
us except, perhaps, the reflection that, as no attempt
even was made to cook any food, it was perhaps
fortunate that we were too ill to eat anything, and
with no excitement beyond the unpleasant one of
hearing that a sailor had been washed overboard.
It was not till the twenty-second day from our start
that Cape Finisterre was sighted, but after this
wind and weather became favourable, and the voyage
pleasant, if monotonous. We saw a whale, looked
on while the sailors harpooned porpoises from the
bowsprit, and rejoiced in the addition they and the
flying-fish made to our not-luxurious table. The
porpoise-steaks, though rather dry, were not unlike
beef, and the flying-fish were really excellent eating.

I often think of that first voyage, and the happy
hours I spent on board the little brig; I had many
a pleasant evening reverie, dreaming of the strange
land, the islaad of Bali, to which I was bound.

THE ISLAND OF BALI.

3

Young, full of healtli and spirits, and witli all the
world before me, I built a hundred castles in the
air, the foundations of which were all laid in
the mysterious little island I was nearing. There
was indeed a great fascination about Bali, no one
that I had ever come across had been to it, even
in books there was little to be learnt concerning
it; but that little was of a nature to excite one’s
curiosity. It was described as a small paradise,
rich in all the beauties with which nature endows
tropical countries ; inhabited by an interesting,
handsome race of natives, who were independent,
proud, and unwilling to admit Europeans among
them. One stranger only, a countryman of my
own, had managed to establish himself at Bali.
He had left his native land many years before, never
to return. Little was known of him, but romantic
stories of his doings, his influence, and his wealth,
were afloat. These had captivated my imagination,
and, armed with a letter of introduction, I had
determined to visit him, and offer him my services.

On the 4th December, we began to look out for
the Gape mountains, but the Captain had miscalcu-
lated our position, and we did not reach the Cape
until the 14th.

After a short stay there I was to continue my
voyage alone, and had therefore to bid adieu to
my fellow-passengers ; amongst them was a Dutch
doctor, of whom I must relate a little anecdote. He
was a Baptist minister, seventy-two years of age,

1 •

4

PIONBEEING IK THE PAB EAST.

and appeared to have spent most of his time in
roaming about the world. He was at present on
his way to Java ; he was very zealous and earnest,
and tried hard to convert me to his own way of
thinking. In this he did not succeed, although, as
we shared the same cabin, I had the benefit of much
spiritual advice, and the example of his devotional
habits always before me. When we arrived at the
Gape, and the time came for landing, I noticed
that he grew fidgety and uneasy. I thought, per-
haps, it merely meant that the obviously new wig
he had put on, fitted badly ; but I soon discovered
that something more weighty was on his mind, and
having carefully shut the cabin-door, he unburdened
himself to me. He brought out a small case, and,
quietly opening it, displayed to my astonished eyes
a quantity of jewellery and a number of gold
watches, which he wished me to assist him in smug-
gling on shore, assuring me, with much pathos, that
it would be no sin, and a great kindness to assist
him in his laudable object of eluding the custom-
house officers. I was overcome with surprise, but
watched with some amusement my pious friend go
on shore with his hat, wig, pockets, and umbrella,
all stuffed and containing enough jewellery to set
up a small shop.

The Cape is too well known to need any descrip-
tion from me. What struck me most was the
population. Had I not known that it was an
English colony, I should hardly have suspected

THE ISLAND OE BALI.

5

it; Dutchmen, Malays, Hottentots, and Negroes
were much more common than Englishmen. The
dust is a terrible drawback in Cape Town, and the
scenery at first disappointing. The view from the
heights, however, is really very fine. Between vine-
yards and groves of the most varied vegetation,
pretty villas lie scattered ; beyond is the town and
the clear blue sea, and the mountains which from a
distance look so barren, are, on a nearer view, seen
to be covered with flowering heaths and shrubs; yet,
not far away, the desert sand reminds one that this
is Africa,

I greatly enjoyed my stay at the Cape, The
scenes were to me novel and delicious, and never to
be forgotten ; the balmy climate, the rich vegetation
and luxuriant fruit, the drives to Constantia and
Stellenbosch. My letters of introduction to the
Dutch families procured me the cordial hospitality
which was, in those days of slow communication,
willingly extended to travellers. People had not
then learnt to think a trip to the further end of
Africa a mere pleasant little tour, and a visitor fresh
from Europe was a godsend, f^ted, made much of,
and interrogated.

It is pleasant in these days, remembering recent
troubles with them, to recall the visits I paid to the
Boers, in waggons drawn by a dozen or more of
oxen, and how right welcome they made me. Nor
did they need to grudge hospitality, for they had vine-
yards, flocks, and herds, more than they could count.

6

PIONBIEING ni THE FAB BAST.

The Boers, howerer, even tlien, spoke in very
unfriendly terms of the English, whom they accused
of having liberated their slaves, paying only their
fractional value. That the first effect of liberty
upon the slaves was a desire to luxuriate in idleness
there could be no doubt, and the labour question
was one which might well exasperate the Boers.

These Boers appeared to me to be a sturdy race ;
tall and powerfully built, devout after their fashion,
but obstinate, and not easily brought to accept new
men and things. They were very communicative,
and gave me interesting accounts of their fights
with the KaflSrs.

One thing was related to me, which is too curious
not to be told, though I do not know how much
credulity the faculty will give it.

A friend of my host had suffered from lung
disease, but in an engagement with the Kafidrs a
bullet went through the diseased part, carried it
away, and so caused the man’s recovery.

I was truly sorry when the time came to leave
these friendly entertainers, but the Johanna Omsar
was ready to start for Singapore, and I had to go.

Nothing of interest occurred on the way to the
Straits of Sunda ; we were over a fortnight getting
from thence to Singapore. We were often becalmed
among the numerous islands, sometimes at anchor,
sometimes running into mud-banks ; sometimes swept
back many laboriously gained miles by the currents,
very trying to the patience, perhaps, but leaving time

THE ISLAND OE BALI.

7

for a calm, contemplative survey of tlie tropical
surroundings. Sometimes, vten beating through
narrow channels, we approached within a stone’s
throw of the land, and, to the eyes used so long
only to look on the waves, the marvellous vegetation
seemed glorious indeed.

Two or three times while becalmed we were able
to land, and to wander about for a while, never
seeing a human being ; for these islands all seemed
uninhabited, the stillness broken only by the gentle
beating of the sea upon the pebbly beach, the calls
of the birds and the buzz of insects. On one of
these occasions, it was on the coast of Sumatra, I
learned that life in a tropical forest is not all bliss,
as the colours and sunshine, and all the beauty
around, had led me to suppose. We had landed on
a low, swampy, jungle-covered coast, and had not
been on shore long before we were literally covered
with mosquitoes ; but greater trouble had nearly
overtaken us, for as we were returning to the ship
we nearly ran into the jaws of an alligator. How-
ever, all things come to an end, and on the 25th
February we had reached the end of the maze of
islands, and found ourselves in the Straits of
Singapore.

Among the many watch-towers which Hreat
Britain, for political or commercial reasons, has
placed about the earth, Singapore will always hold a
high rank. A small island of 224 square miles,
separated from the southernmost point of Asia’s

8

PIONEEEING IN THE EAE EAST.

mainland by a narrow strait, it is tbe point
of contact of tbe Eastern and Western worlds.
Tbrougb the narrow straits passes the commerce of
Europe, India, and China ; here meet the Chinese,
the Malay, the Arab, the natives of India, and the
hundred nationalities of the Eastern seas. Who
shall estimate the influence this motley gathering of
colours and tongues has had upon the destinies of
the peoples, and upon the entire Eastern world ?
To many of them this little settlement was a
wonderland, the marvels of which were related to
eager crowds in many a distant country, and in
many a piratical haunt. That such freedom and
security could co-exist with such tempting display of
w^th was to them the greatest wonder of all, and
while the freedom of dealing in arms doubtless
stimulated piracy, the besetting sin of the Malayan
race, the humanising influences which emanated from
this tiny focus of freedom and enterprise were, on
the other hand, far-reaching and important. In
many subsequent years of commercial intercourse
with these races, I came fully to realize this, and to
look upon Singapore as the centre of a vast work of
civilisation.

Crowds of Malay sampans surrounded us as we
entered the harbour ; these boats were fiUed with
all sorts of articles of native industry, as well as
with fruit and fresh provender, which after a long
diet on ship’s fare (and ship’s fare did not mean the
sumptuous fare of passenger steamers now-a-days)

THI ISLAND OF BALI. y

looked very tempting. The jabbering and shouting
of the Klings, offering then.’ wares, and invading
every part of the ship, was quite bewildering.

The character of the shipping then to be seen in
Singapore harbour was very different from what it
now is ; the Eastern trade was then still carried on
mainly in sailing ships. Steamers which should
carry Eastern produce through the Suez Canal were
not then dreamt of. Ships of many nations were
riding in the harbour, and their graceful outlines
and slender masts and spars contrasted oddly with
the strange uncouth appearance of a fleet of junks
with painted eyes and fantastic shapes. There were
also Malay prahus and some yellow-painted ships,
which might have been those of Anson or Drake,
but which I was told belonged to the King of
Annam.

It was indeed interesting to observe the life and
civilisation which, owing to British enterprise, lined
the shore. Where thirty years before was a dense
jungle, was now an imposing-looking town with
esplanades, gardens, churches, public buildings, and
inviting looking villas; on a commanding height was
the G-ovemor’s residence, a row of cool-looking bun-
galows; and as a background to the picture, rose
Bukit Timah, a hill several hundred feet high, from
the summit of which a most enchanting view might
be obtained over islands, straits, mountains, and
forests.

But in spite of the advancement that had been

iO PIONBIIBIKG IN THE FAE BAST.

made, and tbe busy life that abounded on tbe Httle
island, travelling about was still a dangerous plea-
sure, for the tigers taxed the population (which was
less than 100,000) at the rate of rather more than
one man a day. They arrived from the mainland,
managing to swim across the narrow straits.

Notwithstanding the heat, tigers, and insects, the
small English community spent their leisure time
pleasantly enough. The roads were good, and during
the luxurious cool hour of early morning everyone

went out on horseback or on foot.

In after years I saw much more of Singapore
life ; but on the present occasion my stay was
short, and my time was chiefly taken up in collect-
ing aU possible information concerning Bali. The
accounts of the island which was my proposed
goal were not encouraging. The natives were
described as ferocious and inhospitable, and I was
strongly urged not to go among them. But I deter-
mined not to abandon the plan with which I had left
home, without making an attempt to carry it out.
Accordingly I engaged a passage on board the
American ship Michael Angelo, which was bound in
search of a cargo of rice or other produce to the
island of Lombok.

The Captain promised to land me at Bali, and in
the course of the voyage determined himself to
examine the trading resources of that island. We
made the longed-for coast early in April 1847 ; it was
near sundown, the last rays of the sun illuminated

TH3S ISLAND OF BALI.

il

grassy plains, covered here and there with fruit-
trees, and. rising in a gentle slope from the coast
towards the northern mountain ranges which cul-
minated in the peak of Grunong Agong towering over
8,000 feet above the level of the sea. It looked
like a mighty sentinel guarding the entrance of the
Strait of Lombok, over which it was casting its vast
shadow, while its western face, niuminated by the
setting sun, showed in rugged outlines and ruddy
hues the lines of lava streams of past eruptions.

With strangely mingled emotions I beheld the
reality of the gorgeous dreamland of my early
visions. The emerald and vermilion colours of those
paintings which had captivated my youthful fancy
were not indeed visible, but a thousand tints in-
imitable by artist’s pencil blended in mellow beauty,
and added a new charm to the rich fertility of the
country, the first view of which, strange to say, in
its actual reality caused no feeling of disappointment.

We anchored several miles distant from the shore,
which seemed to form a shallow bay. Ho viEages
or houses were visible, but some distance from the
ship numerous canoes, with outriggers, were en-
gaged, apparently, in fishing. Their occupants
seemed for some time not to notice us ; but at last
one of the fleet was seen to move, and rapidly came
alongside. It contained two fine, athletic natives,
naked to the waist, but girded with a sarong, in
which was stuck a kriss, and a flat straw pouch,
containing their siri. My small stock of recently

12 PIONEBElNa IN THE EAB BAST,

acquired Malay proved, as might have been expected,

useless ; but repetition of the name “ Lange, wit
appropriate gesticulations, made them understand
that I wished to be conveyed to my countryman’s
head-quarters. I was lowered into the canoe, which
was simply hollowed out of the trunk of a tree,
about a foot wide, and with only one outrigger,
which made it so unsteady that it was necessary to
hold on to the gunwhale with both hands.

The tropical twilight was rapidly deepening into
night, which was iUuminated by hundreds of bright
lights from the fishermens’ torches, which they
used to attract the fish. After two hours’ pull, we
neared the shore, and entered a narrow stream
where the shade of the overhanging trees rendered
the dense darkness even more intense. Hours
passed, and I began to wonder whither I was bemg
carried ; no explanations were obtainable from my
dusky companions, and as we paddled on in the
gloom, the hard seat of the unsteady craft increased
my physical discomfort, while all the stories as to the
savage character and disposition of the natives of
Bali came into my mind and intensified my desire
to see the end of the jouriaey. It was past mid-
night when at last there came a break in the
palm-groves, the boat was made fast, and I stepped
ashore. Before me towered the walls of a large
enclosure, the entrance to which was by an impos-
ing archied gateway, surmounted with a flag-staff ;
as might be expected, proved to be Mr.

THE ISLAND OF BALI.

J.U

Lange’s factory. We knocked at a gate, but long
in vain ; at last a voice was beard, and a long parley
eventually led to tbe cautious opening of a side
door, whence a strange-looking figure, bolding a
lantern before bim, curiously surveyed us; I must
pause to give a description of bim. Under tbe
most favourable circumstances, Badjoo, for sucb
proved on further acquaintance to be his name,
bad, without exception, one of the most villainous
faces conceivable. To what race be belonged it
was difficult to say; be liked to call himself a
Bugis, but bis woolly bair and swarthy complexion
contradicted this, and there was probably more of
the Papuan than anything else in his blood. His
name, however, indicated that he belonged to the
race of sea-gipsies, who, as fishermen, form a dis-
tinct class in the Sooloo Seas, but on subsequent
acquaintance he freely admitted that piracy had
been most in bis line. Badjoo was of very diminu-
tive stature, bad lost an arm, and had small, red
eyes, which always appeared to look in different
directions; his clothing was limited to one garment,
viz. tbe sarong, a cloth sewn together like a sack,
which, drawn over one shoulder, left in view a pair
of emaciated legs. Altogether, anything more
goblin-like it would be difficult to conceive.

We were at length admitted to a spacious court-
yard, planted with trees, surrounded by low build-
ings of various descriptions, some being warehouses
and others dwelling-houses, in tbe centre of which

14 PIONEEBINQ IN THE FAB EAST.

stood a large square open sited , witli the roof rest-
ing on pillars, connected by a low wall. The boat-
men having been dismissed, my new conductor led
me across the yard to an open hall, which was
evidently a dining-room. It was illuminated by a
dim lamp, and had at one end a billiard -table.
Having beckoned me to be seated, he took his
departure. Presently a gentleman, whom I rightly
concluded was the master of the establishment,
entered with a brisk step, and with sailor-like
frankness held out his hand, and in English asked
me my business. I handed him my Danish letters
of introduction, and, while he was reading them,
had time to notice this somewhat remarkable man.
The light hair and blue eyes showed his Scandina-
vian nationality; there was kindliness, but also
determination and daring marked in his features ;
a short well-knit frame, showed great physical
strength, and his bearing was that of a man
accustomed to command. He was dressed in the
white drawers and jacket which are the usual night-
dress of those parts ; two black and white spotted
Dalmatian dogs followed at his heels, and looked
somewhat suspiciously upon the nocturnal intruder.
Having quickly acquainted himself with the con-
tents of the letters, he gave me a most cordial
welcome, and, speaking in Danish, hoped that I
would make his house my home. A long conver-
sation followed, and it was not till the small hours
of the morning that we retired to rest.

THE ISLAND OF BALI.

15

Sucli was the first introduction to my future
chief, of whose character and career it will not be
out of place to give some particulars. Mr. Mads
Lange was born in Denmark in 181 1 ; sent to sea
at an early age, he eventually became chief oflicer
of a Danish trading vessel, the Falcon, owned and
commanded by Captain John Burd, a gentleman of
Scotch parentage, but born in Denmark and edu-
cated for the navy. The Falcon had been an Bast
India Company’s ship, but was now under Danish
colours, and had been renamed the Syden, sailing
under the flag of the Danish Asiatic Company,
which gave certain privileges ; in fact, the ship was
equipped and manned as a man-of-war, as was
needful in those days for ships sailing on the
Eastern seas, taking two or three years to a
voyage.

John Burd was a good and a daring commander,
and in his chief officer he had a man able and ready
to do his bidding; and many were the daring
adventures in which the Syden was engaged, but
which it would be out of place here to relate.

When Burd settled down as a merchant at Hong
Kong he took his first lieutenant Lange into part-
nership, who then went to the island of Lombok,
in the Syden, from whence he shipped rice to China,
and therein carried on a very lucrative trade.

When Lange arrived at Lombok, an Englishman,
born in Bengal, named King, was already settled
there, and the two rival traders became antagonists.

16 PI0HE5EINQ IN THE FAE BAST.

Eng desired to drive Lange out of the island, and
a favourable opportunity soon presented itself.

A revolution broke out, a pretender rose in arms
against the reigning sovereign, and both sides pre-
pared for war.

The rival traders espoused opposite sides ; Lange
supporting the rightful ruler; Eng siding with
the rebel.

Lange possessed many of the qualities which,
when circumstances favour, make men great :
daring and generous to a fault, he possessed also
that resoluteness and force of will which assure
ascendency over those with whom they come in
contact.

Having taken his side in the coming struggle,
Lange threw himself into the milee with all the
ardour of his temperament; he landed guns, arms
and ammunition from his ships, fortified, drilled
men, and, in short, was in his element.

Acting as adjutant and commandant of the
artillery was a Dutch half-breed, by name, Mobrom ;
a man with whom in after years I had much to do,
and must introduce to my readers, for he was a
man of grotesque appearance and manners. A tall,
spare, lean figure; long, thin, spindle legs, and
arms to match ; an enormous mouth, and a face
which, having the unhealthy, yellowish colour of
the half-caste, was always in motion, owing to some
muscular contraction. He was fond of telling
stories and cracking jokes, and could, with extra-

THE ISLAND OP BALI.

17

ordinary suddenness, change the expression of Hs
face— a broad grin would instantaneously vanish
and give place to an expression of the most solemn
repose.

Mobrom was, as related, appointed commandant,
and had charge of the artillery and ammunition, but
an unfortunate accident happened which had nearly
converted the native allies into foes.

The house in which M. Mobrom had stored his
powder, rockets, and shells, took fire, and caused
great destruction in the village. So furious were
the natives that M. Mobrom, who had escaped only
in his drawers and nightcap, ran into a pond and
remained there concealed, head only above water,
an entire day ; meanwhile many fights took place
between the rival factions, with varying results, but
eventually fortune favoured the rebels. The
adherents of the lawful ruler began to forsake him,
and eventually, deeming his cause lost, he aban-
doned himself to despair, and with his own hand
set fire to his palace, and perished in the flames
with his wives and many of his followers.

This event cost Lange all his property, and nearly
his life, which he saved only by the swiftness of his
horse; the bridle was seized by one of the hostile
natives, while another held on to its tail, but Lange
having cut down the first, and shot the other
through the head, safely reached the shore, and
swimming his steed alongside his ship, got safely
onboard.

18

PIONBBSING m THE BAB BAST.

Lange now established himself in Bali, in the
village of Kotta, in the kingdom of Badong. At
the time of his arrival there, the Dutch Bast India
Trading Company had an agent in the place, but
although the Dutch obtained a good many Balinese
slaves to recruit their armies, they did not find it
practicable to establish comfortable commercial
relations with the Balinese, who were Jealous of
their independence, and suspicious of the Dutch.
They finally abandoned their factory at Badong.
All their personelle was withdrawn, and Mr. Lange
stepped into their place.

He soon became a favourite with the people, and
their princes in the south of Bali (the north was
hostile) over whom he established an extraordinary
ascendancy. He was made farmer of the revenues
of Badong, and Pombukal, or chief magistrate of
Kotta, and, though at first viewed with suspicion
by the Dutch (who knowing his English sympathies,
looked upon him as an Englishman), they con-
tinually had to recognise his influence and power.
He became their political agent in the island;
and though his sympathies were with the Balinese,
yet the Dutch memoirs which are now lying before
me, bear witness to his generous zeal for the
interests, not only of the Dutch Government, but
of individuals. They testify to his protecting
influence over life and property at many a ship-
wreck, and how the castaway found shelter under
his hospitable roof.

THE ISLAHD OP BALI.

19

The Dutch writer continues as follow's : —

“ Notwithstanding the many cares which his large
commercial transactions imposed upon him, he has
always with the greatest zeal promoted the interests
of the Netherlands Government and its officials.
Nor was it,” he adds, “merely Dutch officials who
experienced his generous hospitality and assist-
ance; men of letters, such as Baron Van der
HoweU, the botanist Zollinger, and the philologist
Friedrich, can bear witness to his constant readi-
ness to serve, and his unbounded generosity and
hospitality.”

Nor was his gallantry less conspicuous — still
quote my Dutch authority, though I have heard the
occurrence told by Mr. Lange himself.

“ During the first expedition in the north of Bali,
under Colonel G. Bakker in 1846, Lange was
present in his small schooner, the Venus ; he laid
her close under the Balinese fort, and though his
deck was perfectly open to their fire, fired at them
with his 9-pounders with great effect. A Dutch
officer was killed by his side, but when asked by
the Dutch commander to withdraw, he declined to
understand the signal, and so fought on till the
place was taken. After the victory, Lange, at a
council of war, offered himself to go and seek out
the kings of Beliling and Karang Assam, and not-
withstanding that Mr. Major, the resident of Besokee,
endeavoured to dissuade him from the perilous
attempt, he left on Colonel Bakker’s horse, accom-

20

PIOJS'EEEmO IN THE EAS EAST.

panied only by his Balinese interpreter and a native
servant ; and although the general opinion in the
expedition was that Lange would be murdered, he
succeeded in the negotiations and returned in
safety.”

The island of BaH, though in point of size insig-
nificant compared to its neighbours of the Archi-
pelago, supports, on its area of 1,500 square miles, a
population of nearly 1,000,000. At the period of my
residence it was divided into eight separate and in-
dependent States, among which, however, the oldest,
and, so to speak, mother State, Klongkong, enjoyed
a nominal pre-eminence, and the Eajah Dewa
Agong, as representing the original founder of
Hindoo emigration into Bali, was allowed the prece-
dence of honour, and, as his title shows, hereditary
sanctity. The State of Beliling occupies a narrow
but fertile strip of land on the north side of the
island, lying between the sea and the northern range
of mountains . The Raj ah also rules over the territory
of Djembrana, on the western side of the island,
looking across the Strait of BaJi to Banjuwangie,
and divided from Beliling by the western portion of
the mountain chain. The combined population of
the two States is estimated at 80,000. Karang As-
sam, with a population about equal, lies to the east
of Beliling, in the north-east corner of the island,
extending southward to the seaport of Padang,
in the Straits of Lombok. Next to Karang Assam
is the State of Klongkong, the chief part of which

THE ISLAND OF BALI.

21

state is inland, but it has one seaport, Kassumba.
South of Klongkong comes Gianjar, a small State,
extending nearly to the south-east corner, whicb is
occupied by the important and populous State of
Badong. The commercial superiority arising from
its possession of the best harboura of Bali, and its
relations with the Dutch, will be seen from the
account of its trade carried on by Mr. Lange. In
the interior of the island, the State of Bangli,
or Tanah Bali, the garden of Bali, includes the
elevated table-land between the two ridges of
mountains. South of Bangli, is Mengoi, principally
inland, between the States of Badong and Bangli.
The largest and most populous of all the States,
it has 200,000 inhabitants, is Tabanan, which is
bounded by Mengoi on the east, Beliling, Djembrana,
and the sea on the north and west.

The division of States, with their peculiar names,
is puzzling enough to the new-comer to the island,
and probably also to the reader. I have not
thought it necessary to give any elaborate account
of each State, but have contented myself with the
bare enumeration of their names and positions, and
a short but general account of that island.

Bali is in many respects interesting. Mr. Alfred
Wallace tells us that it is the boundary of the
tropical vegetation, and, to a great extent, of the
a nima l life pertaining thereto, for on the other
side of the narrow strait which separates it from
the island of Lombok, the flower and animal

„2 pioBiffiniS IS 1H«

„„rld ia changed and hecomes more lie that ot
Australia. ^ verdure can com-

“"tirss^fttp^dT-Mdsiandhere

pare m ^ trinmess, like a smootk

they extended the

green carpet, f irrigated

nonntom^ ® year after

the greater ^ 0

year, a M'' J j fruit-trees, orershadowing

Here and there aoene. Stonge

the villages, gav I dnoka

el ponies, d-«» ^^tJrvals ; hnt of archi-
and geese won The

add. the P—^Cnorttan roHion of

mountain cham tlie north-east corner, m

theistend cnlm^to8."ooae, eunong

the ^ ^ arriYal, there

AgoBg. . yn QY2^>teY was stiE

had been an -np*“»^nd ^ in

emitting occasiona ^ faRiiiBali my sleep was
xx- fi«=t davs of my residence m can, => ^

r ruiCi— tTftit:Som

:^:tt;age. I thonght of
*^B!ri^'’rvr'rffeIed so much from the ernp-

THE ISLANE OF BALI.

tions of its own volcano as from tliafc of Sumbava
during the terrible eruption of 1816, when tbe sbook
was felt all tbrougb these islands, from Sumatra and
Java in the west to Timor and Borneo in the east.
The ashes, which lay three feet thick in Sumbava,
burying the dead and dying, fell over a distance of
4,000 miles. The island of Bali was covered with a
volcanic deposit, which destroyed the crops and
caused a famine. During my own residence we
experienced, as I have said, frequent shocks of
earthquake. One evening we were startled by loud
reports, as of heavy firing near at hand, but the
explosions were those of the eruption of the moun-
tain Eloet, in Java. We subsequently learned that
the reports had been heard distinctly on the islands
hundreds of miles eastwards, as far as Borneo and
Celebes. But if the mountains of the interior some-
times threatened Bali with their destructive forces,
they also contained the sources of the fertility of
the island. Situated near the summits of high
mountains, several thousand feet above sea-level,
are lakes of fresh water of great but irregular
depths, some, indeed, being reported unfathomable.
They present the curious phenomenon of a tide, the
rise and fall of which corresponds in time with that
of the sea.

These lakes, “ danoos,” four in number, named
respectively, Danoo Batur, to the east, near Bangli;
Danoo Bartta; Danoo Bujan, which is the smallest;
and Danoo Tambolingan, to the west, serve as

24

nONEEEING IN THE PAE EAST.

inexhaustible reserroirs, from wHcb the whole island
is irrigated. The streams are small and insignifi-
cantj and travellers are obliged to carry a supply
of water with them. Nevertheless, by the waters of
the mountain lakes, led through an intricate system
of irrigating canals, the Balinese are enabled, with
little labour, to raise two abundant crops of rice
annually; and the price of the best grain was, in
my time of residence, as low, in some districts, as
one Java rupee per picul of 133 lbs.

Besides the staple crop, which averaged an annual
yield of 100,000 tons, the cultivators raised tobacco,
Indian corn, cotton, and pulses, these latter crops
being alternated with rice so as to avoid exhausting
the ground. A plant, bearing a red flower, called
Kassumba, which was used as a dye, was also
cultivated, as well as coffee and beans.

The vegetation is, as might be expected, rich, but
mostly cultivated. Besides the great variety of
palms and other fruit-trees, among which the tama-
rind is in great perfection and beauty, the cotton
tree also is very common, but the grandest of all is
the mighty banyan, or waringan, sacred to the
Balinese, under whose mighty spreading branches
they delight to lounge.

The fruit is varied, abundant, and delicious ; the
pomelo, or shaddock, orange and plantain, were
all of excellent quality. We had also the mango,
mangosteen, soursop, salak, langsat, ramboutain,
custard apple, aud numerous others.

THE ISLAND OE BALI.

25

The Balinese haye no gardens, properly so called.
There are groves of fruit-trees, and fields with
peas, beans, sweet potatoes and yams ; but vege-
table, fruit, or flower gardens are unknown. The
Balinese are fond of adorning their hair with
flowers, usually the kananga or bunga champaka,
of which they grow large trees ; they also like to
put these flowers behind the ear. Mr. Lange had
a small garden, in which we grew some vegetables
and flowering shrubs, which the natives admired
much, especially a fine oleander ; yet it never
seemed to occur to them to plant and make gardens
for themselves. The Indian islander is slow to
imitate, or to apply by practical industry to his own
use, the conditions he acknowledges to be good.

The agriculture is simple and primitive. The
Balinese plough is entirely constructed of wood,
the share being of a peculiarly hard wood, which
makes its way through the ground; and is drawn
by a yoke of oxen. An iron-pronged implement,
something between a hoe and a fork, a small hoe, a
species of bill-hook, and a knife wherewith to cut
wood or grass, complete the total of agricultural
implements in use.

The cattle are of a much larger breed than those
of Java owing to the crossing of the ordinary
Javanese breed with the wild cattle. Although
there are no regular grazing grounds, they pasture
on the rice stubble, or, while the crops are growing,
are turned out to graze in the woods or on the

26

PIONEBEING IN THB PAE EAST.

fallow land. They are always sleek and fat. The
Hinduism of the Balinese forbids the use of the
cow for any other than agricultural purposes and
for milking ; but, for all that, I have occasionally
seen the lower classes eating beef.

The oxen are especially well suited for draught
cattle, and less powerful animals would have found
it difficult to draw the Balinese carts, “ padaties,”
through the soft, sandy road, full of ruts and holes,
which led from the harbour of Bali Badong to Mr.
Lange’s establishment; and, indeed, the streets of
Kotta itself were as bad.

These carts deserve a word of description. They
have two wheels, ten feet apart, of considerable
size. The axle is thinner than the tyre of the wheel,
so that the spokes run inward towards the centre.
The axle consists of three pieces, the centre piece of
which is fixed to the cart, while the two other pieces
are fixed in the wheel, revolving with it in the centre
piece. On this somewhat formidable arrangement
rests a very small trough capable of holding three or
four hundredweights of rice, and on the top of this
the driver is perched. These carts, when labouring
through the soft sands and deep ruts, make a fearful
noise, but do not get upset.

The animals which would have most attracted the
traveller’s a.ttention, when arriving near Mr. Lange’s
place, were the game-cock, the dog, and the pig.
The Balinese being passionately attached to cock-
fighting, these birds are kept in thousands, in

THB ISLASro OF BALI.

27

separate cages, which line the road, and tlie occu-
pants keep up an incessant noise, while the owners
squat down beside them, engaged in animated dis-
cussion, perhaps upon the merits of the various
birds, which give the Balinese as much subject for
amusement and daily discussion as the race-course
and politics afford an English public.

Barring the noise, these birds were an interesting
sight; not so, however, the other denizens of a
Balinese street — the pig and the prowling dog.
A young Balinese porker is not by any means to
be despised when roasted, and is also well enough
to look at; but the swine that used to perambulate
the streets of Kotta in such numbers were usually
old sows, lean, ungainly, and filthy. As for the
famished, hungry-looking curs, which prowled about
snarling and snapping at everything by day, and
howling at night, they were a pest, and our great
deUght was to shoot them.

In all branches of industry the Balinese are
behindhand, and this is probably owing chiefly to
the idleness of the men and the amount of work
and of responsibility imposed upon the women. It
is also due to the fact, perhaps, that the Balinese
have little craving for wealth, and a rich man is
almost unknown. The men cultivate the land to a
certain extent, leaving their wives to conduct all
trading. There are few manufactures worth speak-
ing of, and except for the produce of the land and
the sale of live stock there is little staple trade.

28

PIONBESING IN THE PAE EAST.

Eyery family, to be sure, possesses its loom, -with
wMcb tbe women weave some native cotton, along
with gold thread, bought of the Chinese, into the
coarse sarongs and salendongs, which all Balinese
wear. This cotton thread is also exported, though
not in large quantities. There is some pottery
peculiar to Bali ; it is thin and well baked, and the
shapes of the vessels are by no means bad. The
native-made hardware and cutlery are fairly good,
and the natives excel in the manufacture of spears
and krisses, made out of the iron and steel which
they get from the Chinese, with scraps of iron from
broken vessels, &c. In this way they make a metal
so well-tempered that these arms are able to do
extraordinary work, and the iron knives and krisses
will, with very little trouble, cut through the hardest
wood. The Balinese salt is excellent, fine and very
white, and its superior quality probably suggested
the salting of beef, which is dried in the sun, and
exported in large quantities. Only Mahommedans,
however, are employed in this branch of trade.

If, however, wealth is seldom the lot of the
native Balinese, they comfort themselves by the
reflection that its possession would only be the
means of exciting the cupidity of the Eajahs, who
generally adopted practical measures to express their
views concerning any treasure amassed by their
subjects, by taking it into safe keeping themselves.

But if the Balinese gather but little actual wealth,
the fertile land in which they live prevents their

THB ISLAND OF BALI.

29

feeling tie need of money. The land produces all,
or nearly all, that they require, and living is, there-
fore, cheap. Of raiment there is little need; and,
altogether, unless a man is immoderate in his
desires, or has given himself up to the vice and
delirium of opium, he gets along well enough, and
with comfort.

I have omitted to mention the fishing trade. It
is small, though sufficient for the consumption of
the island, and gives occupation to a considerable
number of people. The boats in which they go out
to fish are called by the Balinese “ jukongs,” and
are peculiar to themselves. The boat complete does
not cost more than ten rupees. It is about ten feet
long, one foot broad, and one foot deep, and is
provided with very long outriggers made of hoUow
bamboo, and attached to the boat by carved frames
of wood, which the fishermen call the boat’s legs
and arms. To serve as a mast, there is a high piece
of bamboo, which is fixed in a groove against the
stem of the boat. The sail is three-cornered, and
meets a second bamboo coming from the prow.
The hull is hollowed out of a tree. These boats are
tolerably safe, and admirably suited for the heavy
surf on that coast, but it is dangerous to put out far
to sea in them.

The dress of the native is so scanty that much
description of it is impossible. The chief garment
is the sarong, which is fastened round the waist,
and usually falls about to the knees ; it is made of

30

PIONEEEING IN THE EAB EAST.

a common obeck clotk. A second garment, wkich
is merely another check cloth, is sometimes thrown
over the shoulders when they are cold. This has
the advantage of serving for a cloak by day and
blanket by night. A small pouch, made of grass
or rushes, is usually stuck into the folds of the
sarong at the waist, and is used to contain betel, or
tobacco or opium, as the case may be, and as this
pouch projects, it serves as a resting-place for the
hands or for the ends of the shoulder-cloth. Every
man carries a kreis, some of wHch have carved
handles, often of ivory, and sometimes representmg
images of the gods. Their blades, which, as above
described, are home-made, are valued according to
their age or the amount of service they have done.
The dress of the women is similar to that of the
men, except that the material employed is rather
better. They wear a scarf about the shoulders,
which partly covers, but seldom hides, the bosom ;
and they adorn their hair with a profusion of flowers,
generally champaka or jessamine. If they have
inconveniently long hair they tie it back with a wisp
of grass or a narrow strip of cloth. In spite of its
meagreness, the attire of the Balinese is not destitute
of picturesqueness, or even of elegance.

The name Bali, Crawfurd thinks, is derived from
the Malay word, “ Bahk,” return. Mr. Friederich,
the Sanscrit scholar, states the origin of the name

. « Bali is the nominative of the theme Balin,

a strong person, a hero. But another origin has

THE ISLAND OF BALI.

31

suggested itself to me which, with all due deference
to these authorities, I venture to advance. Bali
figures in the sacred writings as a mythic monarch,
and thus preserves the name of the demon- being
who conquered Indra, and ruled over the three
worlds.

Another Bali was the son of Indra, and one of
the fabulous allies of Rama in the war with the
demons of Lanka (Ceylon). The Eamayana, one of
the great poems of Hindu mythology, relates how,
when Vishnu descended on earth, and was incarnate
as Rama, a great war occurred between him and the
demon Ravana, who had carried off Rama’s wife,
Sita, to Lanka or Ceylon. In order to recover her,
some fabulous bears and monkeys were specially
created by the gods to become the allies of Rama.
Foremost amongst these were Hanuman, the
monkey, and Yambuvat, the bear. King of the
Winds, and Bali, son of Indra.

In connection with this may be mentioned the
curious veneration for monkeys which I accidentally
discovered. I was about to make a journey, and was
warned by some of the natives to avoid a wood near
my road, it being dangerous to approach it on
account of the great number of large monkeys. I
dismissed the matter from my mind until I came
within sight of the wood, when, my curiosity being
aroused, I rode towards it, and, sure enough, though
I have since lived in lands the home of monkeys, I
have never seen such crowds of them; the trees

32 PIONEBEING IN THE EAE BAST.

seemed alive with them, and the chatter waa
deafentaK. I had acme phmtama m my rahse, and

° tlipni to see Tlie excitement

held out some for them to see. xnc

ereated was amusing. There appeared to be much

eousultation, and at last one old veteran came

down, and gradually approaching me till quite close,

be suddenly made a dash at the plantam whm ,

sitting on my horse, I held " h^^ Tta

same reverence for monkeys was exhibited when,

twelve years later, I visited the island on my way

from Borneo to Europe. I Bad with me an ourang-

outang, which had long been in my possession m

Sarawak, and which I hoped to bring home to

Europe alive. But it so happened I was detained

in Singapore, and subsequently went to Java and

Bab. The news of the arrival of this distinguished

stranger spread amongst the natives, and the house

was besieged from morning till night by large

crowds of people, who showed the greatest anxiety

to see him. Some of the great Rajahs, and the

Dewa Agong himself sent down messengers, asking

to be permitted to see him, which, however, the

death of the ourang prevented. It seems that the

ourang-ontang, which they had never seen, was

known to them from their sacred writings.

With regard to religion in Bali, it is strange
that it alone has preserved Hinduism, which once
prevailed in Java and other eastern islands, whence
it was driven out by the spread of Islamism in the
fiftftftnth century-. The whole pobtical and social

THE ISLAND OE BALI.

83

liyes of the Balinese are moulded by the traditional
rights and customs of Hinduism, although the
religion is much corrupted, and the Balinese are
neither as intolerant of other creeds, nor as addicted
to superstitious practices as are their co-religionists
in India.

Tradition relates the introduction of the existing
religion and government into Bali by a fugitive
pi’ince of Majapahat, as follows : —

The father of Eattu Browaya, of Majapahat, in
Java, was told by his chief Bramana that, according
to the sacred books, the rule of Majapahat would
become extinct within forty days ; and, giving full
credence to the tale, he caused himself to be burned
alive. His son fled to Bali with a number of followers,
and established his authority at Klongkong, taking
the title of Supreme Sovereign, which title still con-
tinues hereditary in the Rajahs of Klongkong, who,
proud of their pure descent, seek to maintain its
purity by enforcing the rule that the Hewa Agong,
the Rajah of Klongkong, shall marry his own sister.

"Whether this legend truly represents the first
introduction of Hinduism into Bali from Java, or,
as some recent authorities say, exaggerates the
effect of the migration from Java of those who
refused to submit to Islam, I cannot undertake to
affirm ; but it is certain that the belief of this origin
of the Rajahs of Klongkong exists in Bali. The
Balinese preserve the sacred books, both of the
religious account and of the ancient legends in the

34

PIONBEEING IN THE FAE EAST.

Kawi language, written, or rather scratched, upon
Palmyra leaves.

The Balinese literature has attracted the special
attention of Sanscrit scholars. Mr. Priederich, well
known for his researches in this direction, and who
was sent to Bali by the Society of Literature and
Art in Batavia, resided for some time in Mr.
Lange’s house, where he was a contemporary of
my own, and where he exclusively devoted himself
to Balinese literature. He writes :~

“The Balinese literature deserves great atten-
tion ; here I am pretty sure that we find the whole
of the Kawi literature, besides a number of writ-
ings peculiar to Bali itself, which latter are also
based upon old traditions. Here we find the Vedas,
of which not a trace is now to be found in Java,
although during the Hindoo time they must surely
have existed in the island. Then we have the
R&nayana in its entirety, and in its most original
form, whereas in Java, only the Javanese para-
phrase, called Rama, of an apparently recent date,
is known. Of the second Hindostanee epos, the
Mahabharata, the Balinese now only know the para-
phrase, Barata-Tuddha, which also exists in Java,
but they know the names of all, and of the eight
parts of the work, six entire versions, and two in
part, are still in their possession. In fact, we may
say that here we find the greater part of the whole
literature present in a far more original form than
in Java,”

THE ISLAND OF BALI.

35

The Kawi language, is, however, only a sacred
and learned tongue. It may be also called the
court language, but the majority of the population
are ignorant of it, and speak the Balinese.

The division of the population into castes, accoid-
ing to the laws of Manu, is maintained, though not
with the same exceeding jealousy that prevails in.
Hindustan. The Balinese are, however, divided
into four castes of Bramana, Satriya, Vaisya, and
Sudra, which may generally be described as priests,
soldiers, merchants and labourers.

The Bramanas again are divided into two classes,
those who perform the offices of priesthood, called
Ida, and those who are descendants of Brahmins,
but who do not act as priests, and are called Dewa,
i.e. god. The Satriyas, or members of the military
order, are generally known by the title of Gusti, or
lord. Vaisyas, the third order, comprehend, not
only traders but also artisans, as goldsmiths and
cutlers. Sudras, the fourth order, include hus-
bandmen, ordinary artisans, and slaves.

The Balinese are Saivas, votaries of Siva, and
although the names of the different gods and
goddesses of the Hindu pantheon are known to them,
their belief seems to be that only one god exists,
viz. Siva ; and the other gods known to them are
only the attributes of Siva under different names,
who is not only the chief deity, but the deity which
comprises all others. This at least is the teaching
of their prieste, though the masses often under-

36

PIONEEEINQ IN THE PAB E4ST.

stand these names to refer to different gods. Thus
Surya, the sun, is identical with Siva ; he has a
wife, TJma, and children, Ganesa and others, but
these are only so many manifestations of his power
and functions. So also, Kala, time, or death —
with his wife Durga, and his Butas or Raksasas,
evil beings, which have to be propitiated by san-
guinary sacrifices — are only the same Siva, in his
character of punisher or destroyer.

To Brahma and Vishnu but little reverence is
paid, though occasionally at agricultural festivals
temporary altars are erected in their honour, but
Brahma Siva, and Sada Siva, as they are called, form
together with Maha Siva, either the trinity or unity.

In some parts of Bali, the traces of Buddhism are
found mixed with Hinduism, indicating the earlier
religion, and we hear of Bramana Siva, and Bramana
Buddha, though of the latter there are but few.

The highest priests are called Pandita, or Pa-
danda, meaning “staff-bearer,” derived from a
staff, the symbol of the dignity of his office. They
preside at the great rural festivals and sacrifices, they
sit opposite the temples muttering the Vedas, and
superintend the ceremonies which the princes are
to perform. Only a Brahmin can become Padanda,
and, during the course of his teaching, has most
painful duties to perform towards his teacher, to
whom he has entirely to submit himself, and in
proof of his submission performs the most
degrading and disgusting offices.

TH2 ISLAND OF BALI.

37

The two lower castes do not possess the Veda®,
nor can their religious training acquire for them
the position and power of Padanda. The Satriyas
and Vaisyas may, by the faithful observance of their
religious duties, obtain the dignity of Eesi, while the
Sudras can only become Mankoes or Dokuns, village
priests and doctors. As such, however, he is sup-
posed, as a reward of merit obtained by his penance,
to be able to cure diseases, and to conduct the
ceremonies of the ordinary temples. A few of
them perform penances analogous to the Indian
Joga, but not so severe.

Sivaism, upon the whole, is practised here in a
much milder form than in India.

Bali is covered with temples, but they are gene-
rally small, meanly-built sheds, within an enclosure
shaded by waringan or banyan trees, where offer-
ings of flowers or fruit are deposited. The worship
of the Balinese may be divided into three distinct
services. The first used exclusively by the princes
and nobles, is presided over by the Padanda. Por
this worship there are only six temples in the
island, most of which are situated in lonely places
near mountain tops, or on rocky promontories
overhanging the sea. The princes of each district
make yearly pilgrimages to these, and by sacrifices
persuade the deities, who at times are supposed to
have their abode in the mountain, to return to the
precincts of the temple.

In each of these six temples, the deities which

38

PIONEIEIKG IK THE FAB BAST.

are worsliipped have different names, which, appear
not to be of Hindu origin, but the Balinese assert
that the meaning of all is Siva.

While the above are the principal temples for the
worship of the high castes, there are also in every
village places of devotion dedicated to the evil
spirits, where sacrifices of living creatures are very
frequent. There are also places for washing and
purifying, all of which are, as it were, affiliated to
the great temples, but are presided over by Man-
koes.

Last of all, there are the domestic shrines for
the worshippers in every Balinese household, but
these, like all the before-mentioned temples, are, as
regards architecture, very contemptible and insig-
nificant, usually built in groups, and of unburnt
bricks, inlaid with porcelain or glass, and sur-
rounded by a wall. They go by a variety of names,
but there are three principal kinds called PadmS,-
eana, Chandi, and Meru. In many cases they are
nothing more than small pyramids with openings
for the reception of offerings.

The sacrifices consist of all sorts of eatables, also
money, and even clothing occasionally ; and to
propitiate the evil powers, cattle, pigs and poultry
are slaughtered.

The offerings are mostly brought by women, who
approach the temple dancing, the Pandita sitting
facing the sanctuary, and sprinkling the crowd
with holy water.

THE ISLAND OP BALI.

30

Bali, as already described, is of a triangular
form and terminates towards the south in a sort
of boot, with a narrow neck forming the ankle
This neck of land was about four miles broad, and
on it stood Mr. Lange’s establishment. Here lie
had organised a large business ; the eastern and
western harbours, according to the change of the
monsoons, being used by him for shipping. Ships
carrying the flags of many European seafaring
nations might be seen in the harbour, loading with
rice, coffee, tobacco, cocoa-nut oil, and all the vari-
ous products of the sunny island. All these things
were bought in the establishment from natives who
carried them thither, or were sent by Chinese
traders and agents employed on the coast. For the
purpose of collecting produce Mr. Lange owned
several schooners, which he sent round to Lombok,
Sumbava, Flores, the Sandal- wood Islands, the
Moluccas, and other eastern islands, so that alto-
gether Badong was a very busy place.

I soon found myself deep in business, which,
though novel and interesting enough, taxed my
energies to the utmost. Mr. Lange, probably in-
fluenced by the spirit prevailing around him, had
an objection to employing Europeans on shore,
though he had many afloat. As a consequence, his
staff was absurdly small for the amount of business
in which he was engaged, and I was a good deal
surprised when I had been with him only a short
time, and had acquired but little of the language,

40

PIOHEBEING IK THE PAE BAST.

to find large responsibilities thrown carelessly upon
me. Hardly a day passed in which some vessel did
not turn up, it might be from China, bringing
thousands of bags of Chinese cash, bronze coins
with a hole in the centre, which formed our cur-
rency, and the handling of which involved con-
siderable labour as well as profit. These coins were
bought by us in China, by weight, at a price giving
1,200 to 1,400 for a dollar. On arriving they had
to be recounted and put on strings, 200 on each,
and were then used as a medium of payment for
produce, at the rate of 700 per dollar. All this
work was done by women, but of course, under
careful supervision. They were also entrusted with
the duty of measuring and paying for the produce.
Perhaps a vessel from Singapore would arrive,
bringing Manchester goods, opium, &c., or from
the eastward, with the beautiful Sumbava, Timor,
and Macassar ponies, and of course our own vessels
were always either arriving or expected, bringing
rice, &c., collected by the agents.

All this made my life busy enough, but I enjoyed
it. Rising at a quarter past five I was soon in the
saddle, and riding through the groves of cocoa-nut
trees which cover that part of the island. Twenty
minutes’ gallop brought me to the beach, where
during the north-east monsoon, vessels would be
riding at anchor. It was here that we kept our
boats, and the boatmen waited in readiness to load
the vessels from large sheds behind, which were

THE ISLAND OP BALI.

41

filled witli produce ready for stipment. Here also
were tlie slaughter-houses, in which the Balinese
oxen were converted into the dried beef, known as
“ ding-ding,” which was sent to Java for the
Dutch troops.

Having made arrangements for the day’s work,
an exhilarating canter along the beautiful shore,
and back through groves and fields, gave me a fine
appetite for an early breakfast.

Meanwhile strings of ponies had been converging
from different parts of the country towards our
factory, each carrying four baskets filled with the
produce of the island. Each little caravan was
attended by the owner, usually a woman, and the
day’s work now fairly commenced; by seven o’clock
all were at work. Measuring, weighing and pack-
ing went on rapidly, and long rows of carts carried
bags, bales, and casks to the sea-shore. It may
be worth mentioning that the great staples, such
as rice and coffee, were received at a uniform
price, so many measures so many pice ; and this
price seldom varied, whatever might be the state of
European markets or the fluctuation of prices in
other places.

But a more exciting branch of our commerce was
that dealing with live cargoes ; French vessels used
to come regularly from the lie de Bourbon, to
obtain cargoes of cattle, ponies, pigs, and all sorts
of poultry and fancy birds — ^veritable Hoah’s arks.
When the order was given for the loading of one of

42 PIUNEBEING IN THE EAR BAST.

these vessels, it was only necessary to send a few
days in advance to a dozen or so of the Balinese
ladies, who acted as our agents in such matters,
and on the appointed day the beach near which the
vessel lay would be crowded with many times the
number of animals wanted, from which the selection
was then made.

The leading part taken by the women in all these
bustling transactions was a peculiar feature in
Balinese life ; but their business capacities entirely
Justified the confidence of their lords and masters.
Not that the trading was left entirely to the fair
sex, but the men generally confined their own
interests to cattle dealing, though, even in this, the
women had more than their share ; and when ship-
ments of live stock had to be got ready, it required
some discretion to distribiite patronage amongst
our friends to their satisfaction. When half-a-dozen
ladies arrived, each with a following of slaves, who,
on such occasions, would carry propitiatory offerings
on their heads, in the shape of baskets of delicious
fruit, it was difficult to hold the scales so as to
satisfy all. Here, for instance, is a fat, insinu-
ating little woman, commonly called by us Anak
Agung, “ Child of the Great One.” She is the
wife of Gusti Mate Dangin, a noble of rank. She
has come many miles this morning with her ponies
and attendants, and wants to contract for the
delivery of a number of oxen and pigs, not to
mention innumerable geese, ducks and fowls. How

THE ISLAND Of BAM.

43

can her pleading be resisted? But, on the other
hand, there is Meme Kintang, a tall, thin woman,
who, I am sorry to say, is addicted to opium, but
who pleads her long business relations with energy,
while a third screams that, last time her oxen were
shut out in favour of her sister merchants. And
so the argument goes on. Possibly at this juncture
Mr. Lange makes his appearance, when they all in
chorus appeal to him, who, most likely, in his usual
offhand way, consents to take all, to the great
embarrassment of the unfortunate clerk, who, when
the day of shipment arrives, finds that he has two
or three times as many animals on his hands as the
ship will hold, and does not know what to do with
the rest. With that day comes the tug of war.
The beach is, of course, crowded, and the lowing of
cattle, screeching of pigs, and crowing of cocks,
mingled with the shouting of the natives, make a
very lively scene indeed.

The trade in oxen was very large. The Balinese
oxen were much sought after, and with good reason,
for they were especially fine animals, of a wild
breed, and they were kept in a half- wild state in
the southern part of the island — ^that part which
forms the boot, and is known as “ Bukit.” Here
they roamed about in great herds, as did also the
buffaloes, which were particularly savage. This part
of the country was, therefore, somewhat dangerous
to visit. How the Balinese settled the ownership
of these animals between themselves always puzzled

44 HONBBSIKG W THE FAB EAST.

me. They had apparently no mark to distinguish,
them. There was a good deal of disputing on this
point, but not so much as might have been expected,
as in such disputes rank and power usually settled
the matter.

It was part of my duty to inspect and receive the
purchases made by Chinese agents, both in the
village and on the coast. Altogether, as may be
imagined, I was very hard worked, and often felt
thankful enough, when evening came, to join the
party, at times a large one, which assembled round
Mr. Lange’s hospitable table. These pai’ties had a
distinct interest of their own. Men of many
nationalities — captains of ships, merchants, savans
— all appeared at them, and were made welcome.
Now and then a Dutch man-of-war would bring a
large and lively party of officials from Java; and
these, as well as the Dutch naval officers, were men
of high culture and social powers ; or some Rajah
would pay us a visit ; and amongst them, though the
Balinese are a fine race of men, there was no finer
specimen than old Rajah Kassiman, the ruling
monarch of Badong. Over seventy years of age,
with long flowing white hair, tall, erect and portly,
when walking under the golden umbrella with
stately step, surrounded by a large retinue, he
looked every inch a king.

Wonderful indeed were the tales told round that
table ; but, together with the songs which usually
followed at a later stage, they caused the evenings

THE ISLAHD OF BALI.

45

of these cosmopolitan parties to pass harmoniously
and pleasantly. The singing was to me a source of
infinite amusement. It was, in a manner, com-
pulsory for everyone to give his song. Mr. Lange’s
head clerk, an Englishman, who took the bottom of
the table, had a great talent for comic songs, and
he enforced, without mercy, the rule of the song
upon others. And so, in half the languages of
Europe, in comic, gay and doleful strains, the song
went round. A game of billiards usually terminated
the evening, but I seldom waited till the end. A
long day’s incessant work to begin again on the
morrow, predisposed me to early hours.

We had little social intercourse with the Balinese ;
indeed, they lived in so poor a way as not to hold
out much inducement to visit them.

The houses of the ordinary dwellers are insigni-
ficant, not more than twenty feet square and eight
high. They are also ugly, having thatched roofs
and mud walls ; they are generally built in clusters,
and each group of houses is enclosed by walls. To
each such group is generally attached one house of
a better kind than the rest, painted or otherwise
ornamented. In this, as it is generally safe to con-
clude, dwells the head of the family, while the
various branches live in less pretending dwellings
round about it. As regards the walls which
surround such a group of houses, they are built of
unburnt brick, and, therefore, require a thatched
covering to protect them against the rain, which

46 HO'^EEBING m THE PAR BAST.

Otherwise would cause them to crumble away ; and
as this covering is not always in good repair, the
walls are, as a rule, also in a condition as dilapidated

as if they had been battered by artillery, and have

breaches serving, as well as the doorway, for ingress
and egress. These doorways are, nevertheless, as
a nile, very substantial, though scarcely wider than
suflSces to admit one person at a time. Two or three
steps generally lead up to them.

Having visits from the Eajahs, we in turn visited
them, generally those of Badong or Tabanan. I
well remember going with a party on a visit to the
old Rajah Kassiman. It was about a three hours
ride to his place, and a rather uncomfortable one.
Our horses had to thread their way along narrow
dykes, or floundered knee-deep through the soft
paddy-fields, or swam the brooks, for there was an
absence of bridges; yet it was, upon the whole, an
interesting ride. It was a holiday. The people
were about in crowds, in their best attire, calling
out friendly greetings as we passed. As we
approached Kassiman, we were met by our old
acquaintance, the heir apparent of Badong. He
rode a small, pretty black horse, somewhat like the
Barbary breed, and was accompanied by a party of
spearmen, some of whom kept close to the animal.
This young prince, who was slight and delicate-
looking, had a rather striking face, somewhat of the
Hindoo cast, but of a feminine type. He was fair,
with a hooked nose, and high, receding forehead.

THl ISLAND OP BALI.

47

His liair, as that of all the princes, was long, and
twisted in a knot on the top of the head, in which a
red hibiscus was stuck. He received us as cordially
as princely reserve would permit, and returned with
us to the palace.

The manner in which these princes lived was
anything but pleasant, and of comforts they had no
idea. The Rajahs of Bali had retained their inde-
pendence, rather to their disadvantage in some
things. They had not, like their neighbours in Java,
adopted European customs and manners, much less
luxuries.

Their palaces consisted of a succession of courts,
containing some open square buildings, known as
the Bali-Bali. On the floor of these the retainers
sat and lounged, generally passing the time away
in gambling, though they would sometimes amuse
themselves by reading old palmyra leaves, upon
which stories and legends were scratched. The
innermost courts contained the dwellings and harem
of the Rajah, which were usually low, mean-looking
buildings of wood and bricks, and the interiors
were bare and destitute of ornament, except,
perhaps, numerous china plates, which, in true
Queen Anne fashion, adorned the walls.

To such a place the prince conducted us, where
the jovial old Rajah gave us a cordial welcome, and
himself escorted us to inspect his armoury, of which
he was very proud. It consisted mainly in a
long row of Balinese spears, and of antiquated

48 PIOKSBBmO IN THE PAE BAST.

rifles, some of which it might have been dangerous
to ire. But all were bright, and made a yer j good
show. This over, the feast began with boiled rice
and cooked fowls, served in very commodious
vessels, which shall, however, remain nameless.
During the meal, and indeed, during the whole time
of entertainment, the gamalan band played, not
inharmoniously. The gamalan is boat-shaped, and
across the cavity are placed wooden or metal bars
of graduated length. The performer squats on the
ground in front of the instrument, and strikes with
a little hammer the bars forming the notes. In
some cases the Eajahs indulge in gamalans inlaid
with gold. The Rajah Kassiraan had one of great
value.

Speaking of the Balinese gamalan, a Dutch
writer says : — “ They were larger and handsomer
than any I had seen in Java ; the first strokes
proved at once that here we had not to deal with
Java music. Tone and measure are, it is true,
similar, but there is much less melody, and a great
deal more fire and animation in the Balinese music.
What one hears most, is a gay, martial allegro,
whilst the high and softer solos, now from one,
then from the other instrument, cause an agreeable
variation.”

The meal over, we took a walk to Gunnong Ratta,
where the Rajah had what was called a pleasure
garden. It was situated on the bank of a small
stream near the frontier of the State of Gianjar.

THE ISLAND OF BALI.

49

The stillness in and round the building presented
an agreeable contrast to the noisy hubbub which
we had just left. Passing under the majestic
waringan trees, we came to a sort of square, formed
on three sides by buildings, and where we were
greeted by large dogs of European breed. On the
right the Poyal Artillery park occupied the whole
wing ; it consisted of twelve pieces of ordnance,
several very old ones. We saw no ammunition, and
it may be doubted that the Balinese would have
known how to use it had there been any. In the
centre building, a little house caught our eyes, be-
tween the bricks of which a quantity of china cups,
plates, and flat dishes were fixed, totally without
order and taste. At the corner of the building
there was a square tower; two very narrow flights
of stairs, with high and awkward steps, led to a
flat roof, but to reach it we had to climb over
trellis work, which entirely surrounded it, and had
no door. The view from the top hardly rewarded
the trouble ; it was over hills, overgrown with long
so-called alang-alang grass, stretching in the direc-
tion of the State of Gianjar. We went round by
the left wing of the building, in order to reach the
garden — ^but garden is rather a strong expression
for a space which looked like the moats and walls of
a fortress, or terraces constructed of strong walls,
without regularity or plan. Within these stone
borders there was a narrow strip of garden soil, in
which here and there a few straggling Olerodend/roUt

so HONBEEINGt Hf THE FAB EAST.

doaHe jessamine, and other flowers were planted.
We ascended from one terrace to the other by
means of stairs, of which the steps were two feet
and a half in height, so that a promenade in this
royal pleasure garden was very much of the nature
of the ascent of the great pyramid. Descending,
m (mme to a court containing a sort of grotto, in
which clear water was dripping down, which served
as a bathing place ; and from hence water was led
away in aqueducts. There were more of such
bathing-places in the neighbourhood, and each
seemed to have its divinity, for everywhere there
hung the above-mentioned flowers, which seemed
to indicate votive offerings. These were, in fact,
the sacred washing places to which reference is
made elsewhere in this chapter.

On the walls of one of these places stood some
images, which were of a whitish grey, rough, and
covered with such a peculiar mouldy coating that
we ascribed to them very great age, and were
amazed when we were told that they were younger
than the surrounding buildings, which had been
constructed about ten years ago. The explanation
is that in Bali they make images of mud, which
by baking become as hard as stone, and soon get
the appearance of age.

In a little island in the neighbouring river there
was a lonely cottage, in which lived a hermit, a fakir
who, as the Balin^e believed, had not eaten for
the last few years.

THE ISLAND OF BALT.

61

It "was dark wken we again reacted tte Rajat’s
palace, and now tte festivities began in earnest.
The gamalans played with all their might, and the
place was lit up; but Kassiman’s illumination waa
not very princely, as it consisted simply of shells in
which some oil and wick had been put. If we had not
brought lamps from Kotta we might have been
compelled to sit down in the dim light of a young
moon. But even so, there was a difficulty; the
lamps would not bum. The crown prince and the
prime minister squatted down on the ground to put
them in order. Unfortunately, they seemed very
inexperienced in the trimming of lamps ; they
screwed up the wick one or two inches ; of course
it flickered up in a bright flame, burned quickly
down, and in a few minutes collapsed altogether.
The lamp trimmers looked at each other with long
faces, and seemed greatly puzzled as to the cause of
this sudden change from light to semi-darkness.

And now the dancing-girls appeared upon the
scene. The first performer, though like all of them,
a slave, yet appeared to take higher rank than is
usual with her class, for she had a number of female
attendants carrying mats, siri-boxes and necessaries
for restoring the toilette, and her deportment was
that of a coy, proud beauty, not deigning to look at
us strangers. Nor were we, in the uncertain
flickering light, able to appreciate her charms ; but
she was young and graceful, richly and tastefully
dr^sed in a tight-fitting tunic, and salendong of

62 PIONBEBINQ m THE FAB EAST.

white, red and blue silk ; a head-dress of metallic
flowere, which was held together round the forehead
by a broad golden band, as completely concealed
her hair as if it had been a lawyer’s 'wig. She
went through a number of attitudes, expressive of
the great emotions, love, fear, anger, and hate : all
of which could hardly be called dancing, but which
were very graceful, and served admirably to display
suppleness of limb and beauty of figure. The
artistic finish, and grace of her movements was
admirable ; even when sitting she seemed to dance,
and her mimicry was always consistent. After a
while she vanished, and a second appeared on the
scene, evidently a secondary star, less chary of her
smiles, and not, as the first performer, disdaining
at the end of the dance to claim a pecuniary reward
by, Balinese fashion, touching with the palm of her
hand the chest of the person from whom a gratuity
is expected.

What more happened I do not know, for the
music continued till I was thoroughly worn out,
and so, wrapping my cloak around me, I laid down
on the floor of the B^i-Bali, and was soon fast
^leep.

Dances and shows of monsters and giants are
part of the religious performances of the Balinese,
and here is the right place to describe them.

Amidst shouts of laughter, some ten men, under
a rough white skin, appeared, imitating the move-
ments of an animal, supposed to represent an

THU ISIiAKD OB' BALI,

53

immense tiger — probably a mythological figure.
The head of this monster had some resemblance
to that of a tiger; the jaws were moveable. The
two foremost men made the teeth gn^h with a
hideous grin, just as if the mythical creature was
preparing itself for an attack. Then came a great
number of women and girls, who ran forward with
baskets, and laid before the monster their votive
offerings, kneeling down, and praying with uplifted
hands. Between their fingers they held marigolds,
which, after they had prayed for some time, they
threw backwards, and replaced with others. The
gifts which they offered consisted of fruit, rice, and
flowers. The house in which the performance took
place was decorated with bunches of flowers and
wreaths of lotus leaves. The sacred flowers are the
marigold and the globe amaranthus. I remember
on another occasion an amusing incident in con-
nection with one of these performances. Eetuming
one evening from the harbour with the captain of
a ship, we suddenly came upon one of these strange
giant shows. The glare of the torches fell upon
the monstera ; they stood out looking grim and
unearthly against the dark shadows of the wood
behind. My friend the captain, a simple-hearted
and unsophisticated man, probably with beliefs of
all kinds undisturbed within him, had never been
in the East before, and being altogether unprepared
for the sight, he started, and with a shout of
horror turned, and, taking to his heels, ran with

54 PIONBEBINO IN THE EAB EAST.

all his might and main back towards the harbour,
never stopping until he was once more safely on
board the ship. These performances are usually the
dramatic representations of mythical and religious
incidents contained in their sacred writings, and
however tiresome and monotonous they may appear
to luroj^ans, they are watched by the natives for
hours with unflagging interest.

The Balinese themselves perhaps get most excite-
ment out of the cock-fighting, which I have men-
tioned as their other great amusement. When a
tournament was to take place, the natives might be
seen by hundreds, and indeed thousands, making
their way to the appointed place, where they would
form a ring, and for hours watch the combat. The
birds which were carried to battle in large baskets,
were always fine specimens and of beautiful plum-
age. They were armed with steel spurs, some three
inches long, manufactured by the Balinese, who are
skilled workers in steel. The crowing of the birds,
the hum of betting, and the battle itself, watched
with keen interest by the excited and swarthy
crowd, all helped to make up a remarkable, if not
very edifying, scene ; for not only Chinese pice, but
also human beings are lost and won here.

In Bali, as in many of the eastern islands, slavery
still existed. Slaves were not, indeed, exported then,
as was the case not many years before, when
the Dutch recruited their forces in Java with
Balinese slaves, and passing French vessels carried

THE ISLAJTD OF BALI,

55

them off to the plantations at the lie de Bourhon ;
but for domestic purposes slavery was stiU in force.
All prisoners taken in war, certain classes of
criminals, insolvent debtors, &c., became slaves.
The Balinese were not, however, hard taskmasters,
and even under the circumstances, the relation
between freeman and slave seemed kindly ; but, in
reality, the entire people were the slaves of their
Rajahs, who governed them with the most despotic
power. Life was held cheaply, and the laws
awarded death for trivial offences. I will give an
instance ;■ —

Coolies were engaged in unloading Chinese pice
from one of our ships. These pice were packed in
mat bags, and, therefore, easily extracted. One of
the men was brought up from the harbour, accused
of stealing about four shillings’ worth of pice. It
so happened that a chief magistrate of the town,
the Dewa Made Rahi, paid us one of his frequent
visits, probably to ask a loan, and the man was
brought before him. The witnesses were there,
and the proof easily established. The whole in-
quiry and judgment took about half-an-hour, the
sentence being that the man should be removed
forthwith to the place of execution, and krissed,
t.e., stabbed to the heart. Tet, strange to say,
such scenes caused no excitement or astonishment
among the people; and the man would have met
his death but for the interference of Mr. Lange, the
sentence being commuted to servitude on board a

56 HONEBBIKQ IN THB IAS EAST.

ship, which, by the way, the Balinese dread, as they
dislike the sea.

Severity in the administration of justice on the
part of the rulers did not, unfortunately, imply any
tender regard for the right® of the subject, as the
following stories will show.

There is a law by which, when a man dies without
male issue, the widow, slaves, and other belongings,
become the property of the Rajah. A childless
widow, one of the not few women who by trade
amass wealth, or what in Bali would be considered
wealth, had adopted a boy of whom she was very
fond. She was anxious to conceal her riches,
knowing that if they were discovered after her
death, the Rajah, and not the boy, would become
her inheritor. The matter preyed on her mind, and
she frequently spoke to Mr. Lange on the subject.
He advised her to pay over a considerable sum to
him, which he would secure for the boy. But
though the woman’s affluent circumstances were
perfectly well known to us, she could not be brought
to admit that she actually possessed the money, the
fact being that she could not bear the idea of
parting from it. A short time passed, and she
died. The Rajah’s men were swiftly in the house,
the ground was dug, and many thousand guilders
rewarded their search. But the boy remained
penniless.

A tragic fate overtook an unfortunate native,
which was caused by the kindness of a friend of

THE IStJiinJ Of BALI.

57

mine, an English doctor belonging to Mr. Lange’s
establishment, and who had acquired great fame
amongst the natives.

Amongst those who came for his advice was a
man with an enormous tumour below the neck. A
successful operation was performed, and, greatly to
the astonishment of the natives, tbe man, after much
suffering, appeared amongst them completely cured.
He eventually returned to his native place in
another part of the island, but, unluckily for him,
an approaching war with the Dutch had made white
men unpopular with the Rajah and his subjects, and
enraged at hearing one of them praised for his
wonderful cure, the Rajah had the poor man put
into a bag and thrown into the sea.

Such acts on the part of rulers scarcely seemed
consistent with the general appearance of peaceful
contentedness which I have described ; but cruel
superstitions and acts of isolated tyranny do not
necessarily affect the well-being of a people.

But a tragedy was enacted during my stay in
Bali, which most profoundly impressed me ; and it
was the more terrible because, though enacted in
the name of religion, it was not merely the fervour
of the fanatic that gave the victims strength to play
their strange part, but that human affection which
is conamon to us all. I am alluding to the immola-
tion of women on the funeral pile of their husbands.

Although it has been argued that the custom of
sati is not enjoined in the Vedas, yet it has been

56

PIONllBING IN THE FAB EAST.

ship, which, by the way, the Balinese dread, as they
dislike the sea.

Severity in the administration of justice on the
purt of the rulers did not, unfortunately, imply any
tender regard for the rights of the subject, as the
following stories will show.

There is a law by which, when a man dies without
male issue, the widow, slaves, and other belongings,
become the property of the Rajah. A childless
widow, one of the not few women who by trade
amass wealth, or what in Bali would be considered
wealth, had adopted a boy of whom she was very
fond. She was anxious to conceal her riches,
knowing that if they were discovered after her
death, the Rajah, and not the boy, would become
her inheritor. The matter preyed on her mind, and
she frequently spoke to Mr. Lange on the subject.
He advised her to pay over a considerable sum to
him, which he would secure for the boy. But
though the woman’s affluent circumstances were
perfectly well known to us, she could not be brought
to admit that she actually possessed the money, the
fact being that she could not bear the idea of
parting from it. A short time passed, and she
died. The Rajah’s men were swiftly in the house,
the ground was dug, and many thousand guilders
rewarded their search. But the boy remained

A tr^c fate overtook an unfortunate native,
which was <^«sed by the kindness of a friend of

THl ISLAND Of BAM.

67

mine, an English doctor belonging to Mr. tiange’a
establishment, and who had acquired great fame
amongst the natives.

Amongst those who came for his advice was a
man with an enormous tumour below the neck. A
successful operation was performed, and, greatly to
the astonishment of the natives, the man, after much
suffering, appeared amongst them completely cured.
He eventually returned to his native place in
another part of the island, but, unluckily for him,
an approaching war with the Dutch had mad© white
men unpopular with the Rajah and his subjects, and
enraged at hearing one of them praised for his
wonderful cure, the Rajah had the poor man put
into a bag and thrown into the sea.

Such acts on the part of rulers scarcely seemed
consistent with the general appearance of peaceful
contentedness which I have described ; hut cruel
superstitions and acts of isolated tyranny do not
necessarily affect the well-being of a people.

But a tragedy was enacted during my stay in
Bali, which most profoundly impressed me ; and it
was the more terrible because, though enacted in
the name of religion, it was not merely the fervour
of the fanatic that gave the victims strength to play
their strange part, but that human affection which
is common to us aU. I am alluding to the inamola,-
tion of women on the funeral pile of tbeii husbands.

Although it has been argued that the custom of
sati is not enjoined in the Tedas, yet it ha.a been

HONEBEllTG IN THE MB EAST.

mamtamed as a religious duty among the Balinese,
even with more obligatory power than in Hindoo-
stan before the Bast India Company abolished the
practice. At the death of a Eajah, or prince of
high rank, not only his wives, but his female
slaves, were accustomed to sacrifice themselves on
the funeral pile in which his body was cremated;
and not only on the death of a husband was this
tenible offering of human life made to the dead,
but even on the death of a queen or princess some
of her slaves devoted themselves to death. This
self-immolation was called hela, or retaliation.* The
extent to which this awful practice was carried may
be judged of by some facts given by Orawfurd and
others. Seventy-four women were slaughtered and
burnt in 1814 on the death of the Eajah Jalanteg;
while in 1633 as many as ninety-eight were sacri-
ficed by the Eajah of Gelgel on the death of his
wife and two sons. If the victims are wives, and of
birth, they are burned alive, leaping from a
stage into the fiery pit below ; but if concubines
and slaves, they are usually stabbed first with the
kriss, generaEy wielded by a male relative, the
beautiful often suffering most, when pity
slayer’s hand. A case happened
young victim, after receiving

THE ISLAND OF BALI.

69

seyen stabs, yet still living, cried out, “Cruel
murderers, will no one terminate my sufferings ?”
when she was finally run through the back.

The Balinese always declared that no women
were compelled to devote themselves to death, but
moved by superstition, and a desire to obtain the
rewards promised to a faithful wife, they frequently
offered themselves. They were then taken charge
of by the priests, kept in a constant state of excite-
ment by opium and other means, and when the final
stage was reached, could no longer retreat. As the
corpse of a Rajah was kept for a long time after
death, the victims had plenty of time to repent of
their rashness in offering themselves to be burned ;
but instances where they saved themselves were
almost unknown.

While I was at Bali one of these shocking sacri-
fices took place. The Rajah of the neighbouring
State died on the 20th of December 1847 ; his body
was burned with great pomp, three of his con-
cubines sacrificing themselves in the flames. It was
a great day for the Balinese. It was some yeara
since they had had the chance of witnessing one
of these awful spectacles, a spectacle that meant for
them a holiday with an odour of sanctity about
it ; and all the reigning Rajahs of Bali made a point
of being present, either personally or by proxy, and
brought large followings.

It was a lovely day, and along the soft and
slippery paths formed by the embankments which

dividsths lawD-liks teiT3iC6S of an ondless succGSsion
of paddy-fields, groups of Balinese, in festive
attire, could be seen -wending their way to the
place of burning. Their gay dresses stood out m
bright relief against the tender green of the ground
over which they passed. They looked little enough
like savages, but rather like a kindly festive crowd
bent upon some pleasant excursion. The whole
surroundings bore an impress of plenty, peace, and
happiness, and, in a measure, of civilisation. It
was hard to believe that within a few miles of such
a scene, three women, guiltless of any crime, were,
for their a^ection^s sake, and in the name of religion.

THl IStAHD OF BAM.

61

entire building is gaudily decorated with mirrors,
china plates, and gilding.

Immediately adjoining this structure is a square
surrounded by a wall four feet high, the whole of
which space was filled with a fierce, bright fire,
the fatal fire which was to consume the Tictims.
At an elevation of twenty feet a light bamboo
platform is connected with this place, a covering
of green plantain stems protecting it against fire.
The centre of this bridge supports a small pavilion,
intended to receive the victims while preparing
for the fatal leap.

The spectators, who, possibly, did not number less
than 40,000 or 50,000, occupied the space between
these structures and the outer wall, inside which a
number of small pavilions had been erected for the
use of women. This space was now rapidly filling,
and all eyes were directed towards the kraton whence
the funeral procession was to come. Strange to say,
the dead king did not leave his palace for the last
time by the ordinary means. A corpse is considered
impure, and nothing impure may pass the gateway.
Hence, a contrivance resembling a bridge had been
constructed across the walls, and over it the body
was lifted. This bridge led to the uppermost storey
of an immense tower of a pagoda shape, upon which
the body was placed.

This tower, called the “ badi,” was carried by
five hundred men. It consisted of eleven storeys,
besides three lower platforms, the whole being

62

HOUBBEING IN THE FAB EAST.

gorgeously ornamented. Upon tlie upper storey
rested the body, covered with white linen, and
guarded by men carrying fans.

The procession marching before the ‘ badi
consisted first of strong bodies of lance-bearers,
with music at intervals; then a great number of
men and women carrying the offerings, which con-
sisted of weapons, clothing, ornaments, gold and
silver vessels containing holy water, siri-boxes,
fruit, meat-dishes, boiled rice of many colours, and,
finally, the horse of the deceased, gaily caparisoned ;
then more lance-bearers and some musicians.
These were followed by the young king, the Dewa
Pahang, with a large suite of princes and nobles.
After them came the pandita, or high priest, carried
upon an open chair, round which was wrapped one
end of a coil of cloth, made to represent a huge
serpent, painted in white, black, and gilt stripes,
the huge head of the monster resting under the
pandita’s seat, while the tail was fastened to the
bade, which came immediately after it, implying
that the deceased was dragged to the place of
burning by the serpent.

Following the large badi of the dead king,
came three minor and less gorgeous ones, each con-
taining a young woman about to become a sacrifice,
or “ bela.” The victims of this cruel superstition
showed no sign of fear at the terrible doom now so
near. Dressed in white, their long black hair
partly concealing them, with a mirror in one hand

THE ISLAND OP BALI.

63

and a comb in tbe other, they appeared intent only
upon adorning themselves, as though for some gay
festival. The courage which sustained them in a
position so awful was indeed extraordinary, but it
was bom of the hope of happiness in a future world.
From being bondswomen here, they believed they
were to become the favourite wives and queens of
their late master in another world. They were
assured that readiness to follow him to a future
world, with cheerfulness and amid pomp and splen-
dour, would please the unseen powers, and induce
the great god Siva to admit them without delay to
Swerga Surya, the heaven of Indra.

Round the deluded women stood their relatives
and friends. Even these did not view the ghastly
preparations with dismay, or try to save their
unhappy daughters and sisters from the terrible
death awaiting them. Their duty was not to save but
to act as executioners; for they were entrusted
with the last horrible preparations, and finally sent
the victims to their doom.

Meanwhile the procession moved slowly on, but be-
fore reaching its destination a strange act in the great
drama had to be performed. The serpent had to be
killed, and burned with the corpse. The high priest
descended from his chair, seized a bow, and from the
four corners of the compass discharged four wooden
arrows at the serpent’s head. It was not the arrow,
however, but a flower, the ehampaka, that strack
the serpent. The flower had been inserted at the

PIONBBBINS IN TAB FAB BAST.

feathered end of the arrow, from which, in its flight
it detached itself, and by some strange dexterity the
priest so managed that the flower, on each occasion,
hit its mark, viz. the serpent’s head. The beast was
then supposed to have been killed, and its body
having been carried hitherto by men, was now wound
round the priest’s chair and eventually round the
wooden image of the lion in which the corpse was
burned.

The procession having arrived near the place
of cremation, the badi was thrice turned, always
having the priest at its head. Finally it was placed
against the bridge which, meeting the eleventh
story, connected it with the place of cremation. The
body was now placed in the wooden image of the lion ;
five small plates of gold, silver, copper, iron and
lead, inscribed with mystic words, were placed in
the mouth of the corpse ; the high priest read the
Vedas, and emptied the jars containing holy water
over the body. This done, the faggots, sticks
striped in gold, black, and white, were placed under
the lion, which was soon enveloped in flames. This
part of the strange scene over, the more terrible
one began.

The women were carried in procession three times
round the place, and then lifted on to the fatal bridge.
There, in the pavilion which has been already men-
tioned, they waited till the flames had consumed
the image and its contents. Still they showed no
fear, still their chief care seemed to be the adornment

THE ISLAND OP BALI.

65

of the body, as though making ready for life rather
than for death. Meanwhile, the attendant friends
prepared for the horrible climax. The rail at the fur-
ther end of the bridge was opened, and a plank was
pushed over the flames, and attendants below poured
quantities of oil on the fire, causing bright, lurid
flames to shoot up to a great height. The supreme
moment had arrived. With firm and measured steps
the victims trod the fatal plank ; three times they
brought their hands together over their heads, on
each of which a small dove was placed, and then,
with body erect, they leaped into the flaming sea
below, while the doves flew up, symbolising the
escaping spirits.

Two of the women showed, even at the very last,
no sign of fear ; they looked at each other, to see
whether both were prepared, and then, without
stooping, took the plunge. The third appeared to
hesitate, and to take the leap with less resolution ;
she faltered for a moment, and then followed, all
three disappearing without uttering a sound.

This terrible spectacle did not appear to produce
any emotion upon the vast crowd, and the scene
closed with barbaric music and firing of guns. It
was a sight never to be forgotten by those who
witnessed it, and brought to one’s heart a strange
feeliug of thankfulness that one belonged to a civi-
lisation which, with aU its faults, is merciful, and
tends more and more to emancipate women from
despotism and cruelty. To the British rule it is due

66

PIONEEBING IN THE FAE EAST.

that this foul plague of suttee is extirpated in India,
and doubtless the Dutch have, ere now, done as
much for Bali. Works like these are the credentials
by which the Western oiTilisation makes good its
right to conquer and humanize barbarous races
and to replace ancient civilisations.

I ha¥e little more that is interesting to tell of

Bali. The conditions of my daily work were much

disturbed during the latter part of my time in the
island. The greater part of the coast was blockaded
by the Dutch, the natives were in arms, and we
had to be on our guard against surprises, to
turn our attention less to trade and more to arms,
to drill our men and to keep night watches.

The Balinese, though cruel, and even unmanly
in many of their habits and customs, were yet
capable of much patriotism. They held out against
the Dutch in successive wars with great gallantry,
though they had little but lances and krisses with
which to withstand European arms.

I have already shown, on Dutch authority, how
much bravery and discretion Mr. Lange displayed
in the attack which was made on the Balinese. It
yet remains to give in outline the events that
followed the second attempt of the Dutch in 1848,
and to show as a sequel the part played by him on
this last occasion.

On the 8th and 9th of June, the Dutch attacked
the fortified place of Djagar Aga, in the kingdom
of Beliling, and were repulsed with great loss ; but

fHB ISLAiro OB' BALI.

67

the Balinese paid dearly for their success, for
in spite of their coolness and courage they lost
over 2,000 men in the engagement. The Dutch
returned to Java, but they left blockading vessels
along the coast, and in March 1840, again ap-
peared off Bali with a fleet of twenty-two sail,
including transports, and 8,000 men. On the 18th
April, Djagar Aga was again attacked, and after
desperate resistance on the part of the Balinese,
who, with their lances, again and again charged the
Dutch, the place was taken ; but the Balinese
successfully retreated to the interior, where the
Dutch could not follow them, and three of the
northern kingdoms still remained unsubdued. The
Dutch then moved their forces round to the east
side of the island to the bay of Padang Oove, the
country of the Dewa Agong, whose sacred person
was thus threatened. The northern Rajahs pre-
pared for a supreme effort to protect him, and
the celebrated Balinese patriot, the Grusti Jelanteg,
with the Dewa Agong, and the Rajahs of Karang
Assam, G-ianjar and Mengoi, rallied round him with
their forces. They had 33,000 men in arms. The
two southern Rajahs of Badong and Tabanan
were still on the Dutch side, but the excitement was
great, and it was thought that these too might be
forced to rally round the Dewa Agong.

On the 26th May, the Dutch attacked Kassumba,
near Padang Oove, which they took, but with the
loss of their gallant leader. General Michiels, who

68

PIONEEBING IN THE PAE EAST.

I ; 'was killed, when the chief command devolved upon

I Colonel Van Swieten.

I , As might be expected, all these events, not only

j seriously interfered with our business, but made our

1 position at Badong exceedingly uncomfortable.

I i Our Kajah, the old Kassiman, had engaged with

the Dutch to conquer the neighbouring State,

; Mengoi, but failed, and his men were severely

beaten. This raised the excitement around us to a
i f great pitch, for a counter-attack was expected every

moment. Our position became precarious, for our
I factory, full of plunder, was much coveted by the

I i' enemy, and an attack was actually threatened. We

I prepared for defence to the best of our ability,

A* brought guns from our saluting battery on the sea-

I : shore within our walls, and, as far as we could,

;| f made ready for the enemy.

; I While we were thus occupied, Mr. Lange himself

1 1 ; ! was busied with important matters. He endea-

* ; ' voured to bring about a conference between the

Balinese and their foes; and succeeded in in-
ducing the former to promise to attend. Gur Bajahs
wished to send friendly communications to the
Dutch general in command, and to this end I was
entrusted with the task of conducting their am-
bassadors to the camp. I embarked for that
purpose in Mr. Lange’s yacht, the Venus ; Mr.
Lange, at the same time, proceeding overland to
Klongkong, to be ready to assist in the negotia-
tions.

THE ISLAND OF BALI.

69

Having reached Padang Cove, and been cour-
teously received by the general and his staff, I
proceeded to introduce the emissaries of the
Rajahs ; but soon found that my mission was not
to be a successful one. The Dutch camp was in
a somewhat dejected state. The commander-in-
chief, as already mentioned, had been killed, with
many officers and men, in the attack on Kassumba.
One-fourth of the remaining men were ill with
dysentery, and they had the pleasure of knowing
that 30,000 Balinese were ready to attack them.

The Dutch General complained of treachery on
the part of some of the Rajahs. The Dewa Agong
and the Rajah of Gianjar had sent discourteous
answers to the General’s offer of safe guidance to
the proposed conference, which was to take place
on the 10th of June. He was, therefore, inclined
to doubt, not only the pacific assurances of the
messengers I had brought, but also the possibility
of Mr. Lange’s ability to interfere. The conduct
of the Rajahs, the Dutch considered, left them no
choice but to renew the fight, and the prospects
of peace appeared suddenly to vanish. The
Balinese, on their side, were quite ready to begin
hostilies again, and to defend the seat of the
Majapahat race, and the sacred temple of Sungei
Lawas to the last. A fierce battle seemed
inevitable.

On the 8th June the advance of the troops
commenced, the war steamers at the same time

70

PIONEESING IN THE PAE EAST.

attacking Lebek, tbe capital of Gianjar. Almost
in a moment, however, tbe aspect of things totally
changed. The advancing soldiers, after two hours
march, suddenly found themselves confronted by a
; party led by a European. It was Mr . Lange, who

brought them the welcome tidings of a peaceful solu-
tion. The Eajahs of Badong and Tabanan had kept
i !- faith, and, coming to Klongkong with 16,000 men

: to attend the proposed conference, had induced the

hostile Rajahs to submit, and to open negotiations.

• J These were formally commenced on the 15th of

July 1849, in Mr. Lange’s factory at Badong, when
all the princes, with a following of nearly 40,000
>1 f men, were entertained by him on behalf of the

Badong Rajah, and a peace concluded, which virtually
i left the gallant Balinese in full possession of their

:s : independence.

It was not a very glorious termination for the
Dutch; but that they were able to withdraw at all,
without discredit, they owed entirely to Mr. Lange.
Yet he, on his side, had little reason to feel thankful
towards them. The protracted blockade which
they had maintained during their languid opera-
tions against the Balinese had destroyed the trade
of the island, and caused him losses which he never
recovered. He could not adapt himself to the
altered circumstance in which the Dutch espedi-
tions had left him ; and he was not the man to
retrieve his peition by long-continued thrift and
prudence. There was more of the bold viking

THE ISLAND OP BALI.

71

than the prudent trader in his nature. He de-
lighted in tossing about in a gale in his little yacht,
the Venus, which he loved as though it were a
living thing. He knew every rope and spar in
his considerable fleet, and no laggard captain would
return from a needlessly protacted voyage with
impunity. He delighted in overcoming all difficul-
ties save those of commercial life. He was not a
skilful rider, yet so bold a one, that I have seen
him break in obstinate and vicious horses by sheer
force of will. He was a power in the country,
and the Balinese feared, yet liked and admired him,
and, in truth, though severe, he was generous even
to a fault, and loyal to his trust, without thinking of
the consequences to himself.

The prolonged commercial inactivity had not only
taken away occupation, but had caused me to tire
of the country. My health also had greatly suffered
from a dangerous fever, which a pleasant sojourn
in Java had not entirely eradicated ; and so, after
much consideration, I determined to leave the
country and go to China for a change.

"■A

PIONEBBING IN THE EAB BAST,

CHAPTER II

OAIIBOENIA IN 1850,

Hating left Bali in the brig Bramah on the 21st of
June 1849, 1 arrived in Singapore on the 8th of July,
and after only two days’ stay, embarked in the
American ship Tartar for Hong Kong. W e had a
stormy passage. One night the captain called me on
deck, but I could see no reason for disturbing my
sleep, tiU he pointed upwards, and I then saw, for
the first time, on each masthead, blue, flickering
lights. It was the well-known electric phenomenon
called the lights of St. Elmo, and imparted a singu-
larly weird aspect to the wildness of the stormy
night.

During two months’ stay in China, I visited
Canton, going up in a lorcha, a sailing boat, very
low in the water ; in fact, a sort of large lighter.
The sail up the Canton River was interesting,
crowded as it was with every kind of Chinese craft,
all novel and picturesque; but we had to be on

OALIFOENIA IN 1 850 .

73

our guard, for every boat might be a pirate, ready
to board us, and bad to be warned off by pointed
rifles. It was an exciting time in China; the
Governor of Macao had just been murdered in
broad daylight, while taking a ride in the suburbs
of the city. There was a general feeling of uneasi-
ness among Europeans, and the coast was infested
by pirates, who frequently attacked European
ships.

The depredations of the pirates, however, received
a check in October, when a squadron, consisting
of Her Majesty’s sloops Columbine and Fury, and
the Honourable East India Company’s steam sloop
Phlegethon, under the command of Commander Hay,
inflicted a crushing defeat upon the Pirate Admiral
Sbapug-tsai. The Chinese at Hainan furnished a
fleet of eight war junks to co-operate with the
British, and the combined force caught the pirate’s
fleet, consisting of sixty-four vessels carrying 1,224
guns, and 3,150 men, in the bay of Ton quin. Of
the whole squadron the English Commodore was
able, after three days’ fighting, to report that only
half-a-dozen of the smaller vessels had escaped with
about 400 men. The other vessels had been all
destroyed ; 1,780 pirates had been killed, and
1,000 remained, in the words of the Commodore’s
despatch, “ to be finished by the Cochin- Chinese.”

The English commander, while mentioning those
of his oflElcers who had distinguished themselves,
did not fail to add that “Major-General Weng, the

74

PIONEEEIKa IN THE EAR EAST.

Mandarin, proved Hmself a gallant, active and
efficient ally.”

Tliose were still days when merchant princes
existed in China, extending generous hospitality to
travellers, a boon in those days when hotels were
not universal. People at Hong Kong were at this
time becoming excited about California. I re-
member being at a party which must have left
mournful recollections in the minds of many of the
guests. It was given by two gentlemen of the
legal profession, who, though doing extremely well,
yet wanted to do better, and induced by the excit-
ing news, which every incoming ship brought from
California, determined to seek their fortune there;
and many were the toasts invoking Plutus on their
behalf. The ship sailed, but was never heard of
again. I ought to have taken the moral to heart,
but I did not.

When leaving Bali, I was still weak from the
effect of fever, but the sea voyage, and change of
diet had restored my health and spirits, and not
wishing to remain idle any longer, I gladly accepted
the offer of a clerkship in a Singapore mercantile
office. Again I embarked for that place on the 9th of
September, in the opium clipper Sydney, a schooner
which on this occasion proved anything but a clipper,
for we were twenty-eight days going down, and I
was nearly eaten up by cockroaches, which at night
blackened the walls of the cabin.

Eight months passed very pleasantly in Singapore,

OALIFOENU IN 1850.

75

but I saw no prospect o£ advancing my interests,
and when friends suggested to me to try my luck in
California, offering to facilitate my voyage tbither,
and in certain eventualities open a career for me, I
could not resist ; my employers, too, bad offered to
keep my place open for me, if these expectations
should not be realised, and so, on the 7th of June
1860, I started.

Once more my course was up the China Sea. We
went so far north as to sight some small islands
belonging to Japan, and then, steering eastward,
we soon found ourselves in the steady, gentle
breezes, and smooth sea of the Pacific. For weeks
the ship ploughed her way towards the El Dorado,
without our touching a rope or sail, and it was not
till nine weeks had passed that dense fogs warned
us that we were approaching our goal. Now, also,
the sea was alive with creatures — seals, sea lions,
and whales in great number. The latter were singu-
larly bold ; we fell in with three apparently young,
sperm whales, who accompanied us for several hours,
playing about, and rubbing themselves against the
keel of the ship. We did not quite like it, and
when one of them rose out of the water some twelve
or sixteen feet, apparently curious to see what we
were like, the captain rather amused us by calling
out as if alarmed, “ Good God ! They are coming
on board !”

On the sixty-seventh day, going under easy
canvas, we suddenly saw through the mist a high.

PIONEBEINQ IN THE PAE BAST.

rocky coast, in wldoL. opened a narrow inlet, it
might have been a mile or a mile and a half long.
This was the Grolden Gate, the entrance to San
Francisco harbour. It was blowing hard, and we
were soon in the narrow, tearing through it with
great speed, and ere long opened to our view one
of the finest harbours in the world, averaging in
breadth, ten to fifteen miles, with depth inland of
seventy to eighty ; this perfectly land-locked inland
sea might hold aU the navies of the world, and a
goodly fleet was here now. There were seven
hundred and eighty-four big ships, and several
hundred coasters in the harbour, to a great extent
deserted by their crews, as was very apparent from
the untidy and neglected appearance of most of
them. Three or four were wrecks. Before entering
the harbour, our captain had exacted a promise
from his men, in consideration of certain engage-
ments on his part, not to desert their ship. There
were twenty-two of them, but I may as well
mention here that only eight or nine kept their
promise; the temptations and intimidation practised
by crimps from the shore were too much for them.
These even threatened the captain’s life, if he put
hindrances in the way. One old and grey-haired
man, captain of a large Dutch ship lying close by,
was tied to the mast and flogged for trying to
enforce disciphne.

It was a curious state of things. But three short
years had elapsed since this country had been an

CALUPOElilA IN 1850.

77

all but uninhabited waste; the Jesuit mission at
Dolores, fire miles from the present city, being
almost the only settlement. The traveller might
gallop across the plains for days without seeing any
sign of human life, except perhaps a half-savage
Mexican with his broad-brimmed sombrero, long
spurs, and lasso, or it might be a stray trapper or
Indian ; for these latter still held their own in upper
California. But now, where but a short time since
a wilderness had been a great town was fast rising,
and commerce and civilisation were doing their best
to eradicate all signs of the savage.

By a strange chance I happened, twenty-five
years later, when in the north of Bussia, to call
upon an oflELcial of high rank. B[e had in earlier
days been a captain in the Eussian navy, and was,
in 1827, in the Pacific. The conversation turning
upon California, he told me that, being in that year
in Vancouver’s Land, a Swiss adventurer asked for
and obtained a passage in his ship which subse-
quently called at San Francisco ; a party of the
ship’s officers went in the boat picnicing up the
Sacramento Biver, and the Swiss who was with them
requested to be left behind. This man was Johann
Sutter ; he put up a saw mill, but this failing, he
took to farming, and when years after he erected a
water-wheel in connection with his farm, the first
Californian gold was discovered in it. Such was

the account given by His Excellency G- . I have

since seen an American account of the same event,

78 PIONEERING IN THE EAR BAST.

which in the main agrees with this, and gives an
interesting record of Sutter’s adventures. Accord-
ing to this, he had passed his early life in the
refined surroundings of a French court, having been
captain of the Gardes du Corps of Charles X., but
growing dissatisfied with the artificial society of
Europe, and longing for a fresh world, and natural
life, he set out for America, dived into the gloomy
forests and boundless prairies of the pathless west ;
and after innumerable adventures discovered, as we
have seen, the El Dorado, yet eventually died a
beggar.

But the news of the great discovery had flashed
upon the world, and probably never has any event
caused so widespread an excitement ; a true El
Dorado had been found, such as even Cortez or
Pizarro could scarcely have imagined, and which
defied all speculation as to the limits of its treasures,
or its influence upon the commerce and well-being
of the world.

From our ship’s deck, San Francisco presented
anything but a picturesque or inviting appearance ;
the harbour, it is true, was magnificent, but the
surrounding country was barren and sandy ; the
town was built upon a hilly waste, and comprised a
curious medley of wooden shanties, tents, with here
and there a building deserving the name of house.

Expectant and curious, we pulled on shore with
some difiB-culty, making our way between lanes of
shipping, rafts and boats, with all sorts of merchan-

CALIFOENIA IN 1850.

79

dise, and over a road ankle-deep in sand, till, nearly
blinded with dust, we reached the main road. It was
thronged with a strange and motley crowd. Euro-
peans of every grade of Society were here, jostling
each other, mostly weather-beaten and dirty, with
the mark of the miner’s rough experience fresh upon
them, though it was clear that a flannel shirt and
corduroys did not, in most instances, cover men to
the manner born. Among the crowd of hardy and
rough-looking men, seemingly well fitted to contend
with the work and privations in the mines, there
were delicate-looking lads, some with spectacles,
evidently more at home in the study than in the
mine. Here and there also were groups of fresh
arrivals, spruce and tidy-looking, who, like our-
selves, were looking on, repenting, perhaps, of their
rash adventure, or, may be, nerving themselves for
an effort to grapple with fortune in the busy and
heaving crowd. Mixed with these were Chinese,
Mexicans, Indians, and other nationalities less
easily distinguished. Strangely contrasting with
them all were a few uniforms and epaulettes ; they
seemed out of harmony with the surroundings, for
a glance showed that society was here turned upside
down, and that order and authority were hardly to
be expected. The streets were filled with merchan-
dise, especially where the crowd denoted that an
auctioneer was selling off, sometimes at astonishing
prices, for articles which yesterday would almost
have brought their weight in gold were to-day all

80 PIONBBBING IN THE EAB BAST.

but thrown away. The value of money, house-rent,
and charges of all kinds were so enormous as not
to allow speculators to hold with a view to a future
improvement in the demand. W^e now found our-
selves in the Plaza or grand square filled, like the
adjoining street, with merchandise and building
materials. Here were buildings of a motley descrip-
tion, rows of provision booths, side by side with
the Alcalde’s residence, next door to which was the
famous Parker House, partly hotel, partly gambling-
house, rented at 175,000 dollars. Of the latter
class were, in fact, the largest and best build-
ings in the town, though not always corresponding
to the imposing names which figured upon them,
such as the “ El Dorado,” “ Alhambra,” “ Belle
Union,” &c. But what of the inside ? The great
bulk of these gambling hells may be described as
being constructed of the roughest materials rudely
put together; a little gaudy paper-hanging and
gilding, and a gaudy chandelier or two giving
the place quite a gay and imposing appearance.
There would be one or two drinking bars, a
musician or two, and a dozen or two of monte,
faro and rouge-et-noir tables. Day and night,
week-days and Sundays, the crowd was always
surging round these ; and a wonderful study they
presented. I watched one man, evidently a Spanish
South American, probably a Chilian, steadily trans-
ferring his gold to the bank. He must have had
5,000 or 6,000 dollars in gold eagles ; a small pile

CALIFOBNIA IN I860.

81

was still left ; he staked it all, and was cleared out,
but not a muscle did be move. With a shrug of the
shoulder, and a half-suppressed laugh, he retired,
had a conversation with a friend, and having
apparently borrowed money, was soon seen at
another table. The result there appeared to have
been satisfactory, for presently he returned to the
first game, played again, and won. How much, or
with what final result, I did not wait to see ; but I
was sure that whatever it was his looks would not
betray his feelings. He was, evidently, a profes-
sional gambler, too hardened to show his emotions.
But the ordinary miner also, elated with success,
suddenly possessed of unwonted wealth, staked his
gold recklessly, unconscious that the professional
gambler, with keen eye, was watching his prey;
though, not seldom, when the fleece was shorn, the
operator found a wolf within ready to turn upon
him. Many a knife and revolver were drawn by
infuriated victims, though, as a rule, they were
overpowered before blood flowed.

In the street the same high-flown names adorned
the buildings. “ Astor House,” “ Delmonico’s ”
“ Irving House,” &o., invited the passer by to very
indifferent lodgings. Further on to these succeeded
less pretentious wooden shanties, the walls covered
with bunks, which let at a dollar a night. Ship’s
cabooses, and even packing cases, did service as
lodgings ; and I am not sure that the latter, when
filled with dry straw, were of the worst. Then there

32 PIONEBRIKG IN THE EAR EAST.

were billiard tables at a dollar a game ; bowling alleys
at tbe same price. A theatre was not yet open, but
before leaving, I was able to visit one, tbe great
sensation being a man in tbe audience who appeared
in a white waistcoat.

But I was not doomed to experience tbe worst
discomforts of Californian life; for I had become
a member of a sort of bachelors’ haU. There were,

I think, twenty-two of us, with one servant among
us, who acted as cook and servant of all work. We
were not in want of creature comforts, as most of
my associates had eatables consigned to them. It
was a curious and a jolly party, comprising literary,
business and professional men ; amongst them were
some good companions, one or two especially so ;
and, alas ! that I should have bo record it, these
were, as I afterwards heard, ex-convicts from
Australia. Others there were who, then poor, are
now among the richest men in the States. One,
an old acquaintance of mine from the Bast, had
been buying ships and land, the so-called water
lots now forming the most important part of
the city. He offered me some at trifling prices.
Had I been in a position to buy, I should in all
probability have become a Croesus; whether he
stuck to his I never learned. It was a keen, des-
perate struggle for wealth, and not a pleasant
atmosphere ; but in the assembly to which I
belonged there was, at any rate, one night in the
week when hearts unbent, and gold was not the all-

CALIPOBNIA IN 1850.

83

absorbing topic. These evenings generally wound
up by the whole company getting on their chairs, and,
with one foot on the table, singing “ Tor Auld Lang
Syne;” and there were those amongst us whose
faces then softened with thoughts of other days and
scenes. Few of us had soft couches on which to
retire to rest. We laid, wrapped in blankets, on
the floor, fleas and rats innumerable being our com-
panions. As one lay wrapped in the blanket, the
latter could be felt running over you. But even
hotels were not very comfortable. A friend of
mine, whom I occasionally visited, was, at great cost,
living in what was then one of the first hotels.
One morning I called earlier than usual, and on
entering his room, I found him still in bed, with an
umbrella over his head, and not without reason. As
for cleanliness, it was a difficult matter. The
streets, though a wooden pavement had been com-
menced, were still, as a rule, in deep, soft sand, or
equally deep mud; and at night they were unlighted
and dangerous. Water was scarce, and washing
cost six dollars per doz;en pieces. An old Indian
ayah, left by the captain’s wife, made a fortune by
washing.

A fearful fire (San Francisco has seen many)
occurred during my stay, destroying the hopes of
thousands, and showing others under what pre-
carious conditions they were toiling ; yet the
industry displayed was marvellous, and the builders
worked almost as fast as the flames, and restored

84 PIONBEBING IN THE EAB BAST.

things to their former condition in an incredibly
short time. I had undertaken to see our ship’s
cargo landed and stored, an expensive process, as
charges for boats and carts were enormous ; but
our warehouse being built on piles in the sea, boats
could come alongside. I had not been there for two
days; on the third as I went down, to my amazement,
instead of the usual sea view, I found a big ware-
house in front of us ; with such rapidity were houses
run up. Amongst the things of which the cargo
of our ship consisted was a large quantity of rough
furniture, especially chests of drawers. The entire
cargo was, as customary, sold by auction, and was
soon disposed of ; but when the agent came to make
up his account, he found that the furniture which
had been sold was filled with clothing, blankets,
flannel shirts, corduroy trousers, &c., &o. How the
acute Yankee enjoyed the joke when he came to
unpack his bargain !

We had, however, come to San Francisco at a
very unfavourable time. It was three years since
gold had been first discovered. The first rush had
gone by. Thousands had returned from the
diggings disheartened, to seek more congenial
employment in the cities. Supplies also, of every
description, had been crowding in from all parts,
far in excess of the demand and the storing
capacity of San Francisco. The rainy season,
moreover, would soon set in, when these evils would
increase manifold, and the climate, under the then

OALIPOENIA IN 1850.

85

condition, become unhealthy. The consequence was,
that our ship, and others from the same quarter,
came to a bad market. One of the others con-
tained a cargo of wooden houses which, a few
months before, had commanded enormous prices,
but were now unsaleable, and the owner had, with
a few exceptions, to leave them in the ship, the
captain taking them for the freight. Por those
which were landed, he bought a piece of ground on
which to put them up. He had brought Chinese
carpenters for this purpose, and was, therefore, still
hopeful to make something by his venture. But
one morning he came in with a long face ; the
carpenters had all run away to the mines. He was
not, however, to be thus done ; and so, arming
himself, he set out with a friend in pursuit, and
succeeded in overtaking the Celestials, but only to
have insult added to injury. The Chinese, finding
themselves in a lawless land, quickly learned the
lesson, and took up so menacing a position that my
friend was glad to get off with a whole skin. The
unfortunate man, having invested his all in the
venture, ended, I was told, by losing his reason.

San Francisco being surrounded by sand-hiUs,
there were no pleasant walks, but I took occasional
rambles. Amongst the places I visited was the old
church and mission at Dolores. A strange contrast
to the restless, ever-changing aspect of the sur-
rounding, was this desolate old church, a monument
of the past, and of labours as arduous and more

and Franciscan Friars. Their proselytizing system
■was not such as to be in sympathy with the ideas of
the nineteenth century ; but it cannot be denied
that their zeal and self-denying labours were such
as to call for admiration, and that they introduced
among the savage tribes of California a more settled
form of life, and some idea of moral restraint;
indeed, some of the lives of the early missionaries
were examples of heroism and endurance not
unworthy of the great leaders who had gone
before.

When the Jesuits were expelled from Lower
Oahfomia, in 1767, the Spanish Governor of Mexico
desired to extend Spanish rule to Upper California,
and the Franciscan Friars were the pioneers selected.
Father Junipero Serra, with fifteen friars, invaded
Upper California with armed followers, both by
land and sea, and with indomitable perseverance and
unscrupulousness as to the means employed, they
succeeded, after many hardships and dangers, in
establishing themselves, and gaining ascendancy

i

1 _

•i |\ '• ,

CAIIFOENU IN 1860.

87

over the Indians. Before the end of the eighteenth
century they had established sixteen missions in
different parts of Upper California, that of Dolores,
near San Francisco, being one. Here they ruled
supreme, each mission being a principality. The
whole country was divided into four military dis-
tricts, the head- quarters of which were called the
“ presidio ” of the district or jurisdiction. These
consisted of a square built of sun-dried bricks,
within which resided the commandant and the troops.
Here also was the church and mission-house. Out-
side these were the villages and farms occupied by
the converts ; these increased yearly, and, it must
be added, the priors, keeping in view the ends, were
not particular as to the means. An interesting
account of these is given by Captain Bushey, who
visited California in 1826. He says : —

“ This expedition ended in a battle, with a loss,
in the first instance, of thirty-four of the converts,
and eventually in the gain, by a second expedition
sent to avenge the loss of the first, of forty women
and children of the invading tribes. These were
immediately enrolled in the list of the mission, and
as quickly converted to Christianity. I happened
to visit the mission about this time, and saw these
unfortunate beings under tuition. They were
clothed in blankets, and arranged in a row before a
blind Indian, who understood their dialect, and was
assisted by an Alcalde to keep order. The tutor
began by desiring them to kneel, informing them

88 PIONEERING IN THE EAR BAST.

that he was going to teach them the names of the
persons comprising the Trinity, and that they were
to repeat in Spanish what he dictated. The neo-
phytes being thus arranged, the speaker began
“ ‘ Santissimoi Trinidada ^ Dios, Jesu Ghvisto,
Espiritu Santo,’ pausing between each name to listen
if the simple Indians, who had nerer spoken a
Spanish word before, pronounced it correctly, or
anything near the mark. After they had repeated
these names satisfactorily, their blind tutor, after a
pause, said, ‘ Santos,’ and recapitulated the names
of a great many saints, which finished the morning’s
tuition. After a few days, no doubt these, pupils
were promising Christians, and admitted to all the
benefits and privileges of Christians, and gente de
razon ; indeed, I believe that the act of making the
cross and kneeling at proper times, and other such
mechanical rites, constituted no small part of the
religion of these pious people. The rapidity of the
conversion is, however, frequently stimulated by
practices much in accordance with the primary
kidnapping of the subject. If, as not unfrequently
happens, any of the captured Indians show repug-
nance to conversion, it is the practice to imprison
them for a few days, and then to allow them to
breathe a little fresh air in a walk round the
mission, to observe the happy mode of life of their
converted countrymen, after which they are again
shut up, and thus continue incarcerated until they
declare their readiness to renounce the religion of

CALIFOBKIA IN 1850.

89

tteir forefathers. As might be believed, the cere-
monial exercises of the pure Catholic religion
occupies a considerable share of the time of these
people ; masses performed twice daily, besides high
days and holidays, when the ceremonies are much
grander and of longer duration. And at all the per-
formances every Indian is obliged to attend under
the penalty of whipping ; and the same method of
enforcing proper discipline, as in kneeling at proper
times, keeping silence, &c.,i3 not excluded from the
church service itself. In the aisles and passages of
the church, zealous beadles of the converted race
are stationed, armed with sundry weapons, of potent
influence in effecting silence and attention, and
which are not sparingly used on the refractory and
inattentive. These consist of sticks and whips, long
goads, &c., and they are not idle in the hands of
the officials that sway them.”

But the rule of the priests was destined to fall;
their wealth and power excited the jealousy of the
Spanish Grovernment, and although they defied it
for many years, their wealth was, in 1833, reduced
to very modest proportions. In that year, the vast
possessions of the mission were secularised and a
fixed sum was paid them by the Government. The
glory ot the mission had now departed.

“ That, indeed,” says Forbes, “ was their age of
gold. Eight bounteous and prosperous times, to
which many of the Calefornian, and even of the
old American residents, looked back with regret.

90

PIOHIBBING IN THE EAB BAST.

Tlieii, eaoli mission was a little principality , witli its
100,000 acres, and its 20,000 head of cattle. All

the Indian population, except the “ Gentiles ” of
the mountains were the subjects of the Padres ;
cultivating for them the broad lands, and reve-
rencing them with the same devout faith as they did
their patron saint of the settlement. The spacious
hall, galleries, and court-yards of the missions
exhibited every sign of order and good government,
and from the long rows of adobe-dried houses,
flanking them, an obedient crowd came forth at the
sound of morning and evening chimes. The tables

of the padres were laden with the finest fruits, and
vegetables from their thrifty gardens and orchards,
and flasks of excellent wine from their own vine-
yards. The stranger who came that way was
entertained with lavish hospitality, for which aU
recompense was proudly refused, and on leaving,
was welcome to exchange his spent horse for his pick
out of the caballada. Nearly all the commerce of
the country with other nations was in their hands.
Long habits of economy and management gave
them a great aptitude for business of all kinds, and
each succeeding year witnessed an increase of their
wealth and authority.”

Such was the history in which this old church
and fort had played a part. The church, with
the rude. Gothic arches, faded gilding and paint,
and undistinguishable portraits of monks and
saints, was now deserted; the gold- workers heeded

OALirOENIA IN 1850.

91

it not. The ecclesiastical and devotional spirit had,
for the time, departed. Another spirit was abroad,
offering on the shrines of Mammon. The old
barracks and fort at Presidio were also in ruins;
a few Spanish cannon and mortars with the Cas-
tillian arms upon them were the only witnesses that
a mighty nation once ruled here.

Another place in the outskirts of San Francisco,
where I was fond of going was Flag-staff Hill, from
whence a splendid view was obtained over the town,
harbour, and surrounding country — a view which
I thought it worth while to sketch. Just below
the hill, where the tents show over the crest, was
“Happy, pleasant and contented Valley,” a para-
dise mostly occupied by laundry workers of both
sexes, and by butchers. What had suggested so
inappropriate a name for the site of these occupa-
tions, I know not ; but when once sauntering about
there, I came upon numberless heads and horns
of slaughtered animals, which were certainly not
appropriate to it.

That California had a great future before it was
already then quite clear, and I wrote to my friends
in the Bast, not to be discouraged by the reports
which victims of dishonesty and the lawless con-
dition of the place were sending abroad, and which
were calculated to frighten away honest and legiti-
mate trade. From the accounts given of the
interior, it was clear that the desolate aspect of the
country was confined to a narrow tract on the coast,

92 PIONEBBINQ IN THE PAS BAST.

and that, not far off, the country possessed other
and more enduring sources of wealth than gold.
But the facts of the moment were too strong for
my friends, and they would have nothing to do
with the place ; and as there was nothing to be
done at present, it was decided that I should return
in the ship, and see what could be arranged in the
future.

About the 12th of September the vessel was at
last ready to sail, and I went on board, but to find a
difficulty— only nine of the crew of twenty-two had
stuck to their duty ; these did not suffice to raise
the anchor, and we had to send on shore for men to
do it. At last all was ready, and the tide soon took
us out of the harbour. “ I thank my stars that I
am once more master of my own ship ! You will
never catch me in that accursed place again,’ said
the captain, as with a sigh of relief he looked
towards the Golden Gate, now fast fading from our
view.

But though the captain had got his ship safely
out to sea, his troubles were not over. Danger-
ously under-manned, we were yet to be still more
crippled. Sickness broke out ; the chief officer died
within a few days, the captain at the same time
being seriously ill, and some of those left were more
or less ill. It began to look very serious, and had
bad weather come on some disaster would have
happened. Luckily, we had gentle, steady breezes,
and a smooth sea. I had, however, to stand for

OATJFOENIA IN 1850.

93

days at the helm, but it is no hai'dship to guide
a ship before favourable winds in fine weather.
Gradually our invalids recovered ; we crossed the
Pacific in safety, and reached the coast of China
without accident. We remained a few days in
Hong Kong, and then continued our voyage to
Singapore.

The Californian speculation had been disastrous
to my friends ; there was no question of further
enterprises in that direction. I therefore accepted
an offer from my late employers to go as their agent
to Borneo ; but as some months would yet pass
before I could enter upon my duties there, 1 mean-
while undertook voyages to Cambodia and Siam.

94

HONBERINfi IN THE FAB EAST.

CHAPTER III.

CAMBODIA AND SIAM.

At this period, the attention of commercial men in
Singapore had for some time past been directed to
the kingdom of Siam and its dependencies. This
country had formerly claimed suzerainty over the
entire Malayan peninsula down to the very Straits
of Singapore, and had carried on an important
trade with Europe, in which many English ships
were engaged, but during some years this trade
had been gradually dwindling away. The cause of
the decay had been the system of monoply practised
by the Siamese Government, and the hostile dis-
position latterly displayed by the old King Phra
Nang Klau towards Europeans. To the merchants
of the prosperous free port of Singapore this was
an unsatisfactory state of things; they agitated at
home, and at last induced the English Government
to send Sir James Brooke on a mission to conclude
treaties of commerce with Siam and Cochin China.

This mission left Singapore in 1850, but failed,

CAMBODIA AND SIAM,

95

the Siamese Government having refused to enter
into negotiations, and the relations with Siam
became in consequence very strained. The trade
with Singapore entirely ceased, and petitions were
sent home by one party there, urging coercive
measures against Siam.

This state of things being perfectly well under-
stood both in Siam and its tributary States, the
latter saw in a rupture with England an oppor-
tunity for asserting their independence. Amongst
these States, Cambodia was the most important, as
well as the one which had suffered most. Situated
between Siam and Cochin China, it had been
attacked and plundered by both in turn. When,
therefore, the reports of the danger incurred by
Siam reached Cambodia, the King sent an agent to
Singapore to represent his situation, the capabilities
of his country, and his desire to be friendly with
the English, and to open commercial relations with
them.

An enterprising firm in Singapore resolved to
put these assertions to a practical test, by sending a
ship and merchandise, and the conduct of this
mission was entrusted to me.

In former days Cambodia was approached from
the China Sea, through the great Cambodian river
the Mekong, and large ships used to ascend that
stream upwards of a hundred miles, to a point
where four arms unite into one great river, which
falls into the China Sea at Saigon ; but as the

96 PIONEERING IN TEE PAR BAST.

Cochin Chinese had long ago closed this waterway
to Cambodia, the only means of approach now was
from the Gulf of Siam, and the village of Komput
remained the only port open to the Cambodians.
For this place we accordingly laid our course when,
in February 1851, we lifted our anchor in Singapore
harbour, having on board the King of Cambodia s
Agent, Monteiro— a Portuguese by descent.

From the Gulf of Siam we made for Komput,
which proved more difficult to find than we had
expected, as the coast line was incorrectly laid down
in the Admiralty charts ; according to it, we must
have sailed eighteen miles inland. At last, however,
we found the place, and anchored in a picturesque
gulf, bounded to the east by the islands and
coast of Cochin China, and on the north and west
by the mainland and islands of Cambodia. Of the
village or town of Komput, nothing was, however,
to be seen from the ship, which, owing to the
shallow water, had to anchor ten miles from the
shore.

The Gulf of Siam was in those days greatly
infested by pirates, and Komput, being then an
unknown port, as yet unvisited by European vessels,
was more than suspected of being one of their chief
stations ; in fact, many of the Eajahs and princes
in the Eastern Archipelago were more or less
directly engaged in piracy, and I was not by any
means sure that the King of Cambodia, of whom
nothing was known, would form an exception. W e.

CAMBODIA AND SIAM.

97

however, had come by his invitation, and he would
expect this first visit in modern times of an English
vessel to result in important benefits to his country
and himself, by the opening up of commercial rela-
tions with a British settlement, and perhaps direct-
ing the attention and sympathy of Englishmen to
his country. There was every reason, therefore, to
expect that he would protect us as far as his
authority went; but the question was, as to his
power. However, we were merchant adventurers,
and had to take men upon trust, and so, getting
into the ship’s boat with my companions, we
reached — after a couple of hours’ sail — the mouth
of the river upon which the town is built. The
stream is about three hundred yards wide, and the
banks are well wooded with fine forest trees, among
which is found in abundance a magnificent tree
which is largely used by the Chinese as masts for
their Junks. A couple of miles up the river the town
came in sight — a miserable collection of thatched
bamboo huts, surrounded by filth and mud, strongly
reminding us of the Malay villages on the other
side of the gulf; but the population seemed to
consist mainly of Chinese, and apparently of a very
depraved, emaciated, opium-smoking class.

One of these huts, somewhat apart from the
market-place, and untenanted, was placed at my
disposal, and having obtained an interpreter, I sent
him for some of the most respectable Chinese in the
place, and gathered what information I could from

98 I’lO'NEERING IN THE EAR EAST.

them. I gave them particulars of the goods which
composed our cargo, and eventually disposed of a
considerable number of boxes and bales, the con-
tents of which were to be taken in payment for
the produce of the country, to be collected by
them.

Meanwhile, we received a visit from the G-overnor,
who combined a savage dislike to foreigners with
an intense greed for bribes. Fortunately, Monteiro
possessed experience and influence which served, to
some extent, as a protection against the avarice of
this greedy official, on whom we depended for
means of proceeding inland to Oudong, the royal
capital. The cunning subterfuges and crafty dodges
by which he endeavoured to protract these arrange-
ments, with a view to black mail, were very
creditable to his ingenuity ; but as neither my
temper nor resolution were affected by them, the
means were at last forthcoming, in the shape of
nine or ten carts drawn by oxen.

On the 3rd of March, we started on our journey,
making very slow progress. The oxen were poor ;
the carts worse. These latter consisted of a
number of hoops covered with matting, and resting
on two wheels, of course without the ghost of a
spring. In this funnel-shaped conveyance I made
my bed, and so travelled in a reclining position.
The road, after traversing a marshy plain, led
through magnificent forests, containing groves of
bamboo, wild mango, and various species of palms.

CAMBODIA AND SIAM.

99

They were full of wild animals of all kinds. W ater
was very scarce, as we never came across any
streams, and tke ponds — whence travellers were
usually supplied — were dried up, and contained
only a thick, green, slimy substance, quite un-
drinkable ; but in such places the margins were
trampled by animals, as though a cattle-market had
been recently held there. Here were the foot-
prints of the elephant, rhinoceros, wild buffalo,
tiger, leopard, boar, and deer. As a rule there
was little underwood, and far away, under the leafy
canopy, we could see the animals grazing, while
overhead were the peacock, parroquet, eagle, pigeon,
&c. We were, therefore, never without game for
our meals when we encamped, but had rarely
anything to drink. Occasionally we succeeded in
quenching our thirst with the delicious toddy of the
gumuti palm ; but as our food supply consisted
almost entirely of rice, and we could not eat it raw,
we had — however repulsive it might be — to make
use of the aforesaid unwholesome slimy water for
cooking purposes.

Oudong lies about 135 miles to the north-east of
Komput ; but the road to the capital is nearly 200
miles long. The dry sandy soil made travelling
heavy and slow, and our progress did not exceed
twenty miles a day. The carts constantly broke
down, and had to be repaired with such means
as could be found in the forest, in the shape of
rattans, &c. Human habitations were rare. How

100 PinNEEBTKG IN THE PAR EAST.

and then we came to a Buddhist monastery, but the
monks, though they looked picturesque in their
long yellow robes, were of little use, having nothing
to offer us. At night we formed the carts into
a camp, having the cattle in the centre, and kindled
fires all round to keep out wild beasts.

On the fifth day we reached a village where we
were to change our draught animals, but the people
assured us that they had none. Monteiro, however,
knew better. He had the headman put into the
stocks, and the animals were at once forthcoming.
We learned here, that a number of elephants had
passed on the previoTis day, having been sent by
the King to meet us, to expedite our journey ; but
they had missed us. At the few villages which we
passed, the people crowded round to see us ; they
appeared a wretchedly poor lot. Though I had
brought with me all sorts of tempting trifles, with a
view to barter for food or curiosities, they could
offer us nothing. On one occasion — when halting
at such a village — I was wandering about in the
wood with my rifle, and seeing a wood-pigeon in a
very high tree, I by good chance brought it down
with a bullet; the people regarded the performance
with surprise. Presently they brought out an
elephant’s tooth, which they told me was of price-
less value, as no one wearing it could be hit by
arrow or bullet. The tooth was a good size, and
would, at thirty or forty yards, offer a fair mark.
I, therefore, suggested that they should let us have

CAMBODIA AND SIAM.

101

a trial at it, to which they willingly consented. We
accordingly all had a shot by turns. I was not at
all surprised at missing it myself, though, after my
late performance, it seemed to impress the people,
but I was vexed to see one of my companions, who
was really a good shot, miss it also. The charmed
tooth was carried away in triumph ; nor could our
arguments convince them that our bad shooting,
and not the virtue of the tooth, was the cause. I
believe that no money could then have bought it.

Some of the aborigines in Cambodia, known as
Stiens, use the cross-bow when hunting, and they
bring down even the elephant with their poisonous
arrows, which, I was told, take effect very quickly.

On the evening of the tenth day we at last
reached Oudong, after a very fatiguing journey.
We were all worn out, and I was bruised and stiff
all over.

We found Oudong to be a very poor-looking place
like Komput, composed of thatched bamboo huts,
but containing, according to native statements, about
10,000 inhabitants. The fact is, that the town had
been so often burned down by the Annamites or
Siamese enemies, and was so likely to suffer this
experience again, that it was hardly worth while to
build substantial houses. A bamboo house was
assigned to us ; but our first night was not destined
to be a comfortable one. We were disturbed by
hideous noises, which we soon recognised as the
howl of jackals — a peculiarly horrible sound. Ere

102 PIONEEBiNG IN THiS FAB EAST.

long, numbers of them surrounded our house. As
there was room between the bamboos of the walls to
push a gun-barrel through, we kept up a steady
fire at them, but without any great effect, as the
night was dark.

Though the present condition of the country is
one of poverty and decay — the capital itself steeped
in filth, which invites the jackal by night, and the
vulture by day ; for these loathsome birds are seen
everywhere, even round the King’s palace yet
there are still signs of the departed greatness of the
country in the astonishing remains of the ruined
palaces and temples of Ongkor, the ancient capital
of Cambodia, which was situated towards the north-
east, on the banks of the Mekong, and was the
residence of monarchs who ruled the mightiest
empire in the far last, embracing part of the
present China in the north, and of Burmah in the
east. The traditions still preserved, tell of twenty
kings who were tributaries to the ancient sovereigns
now represented by the King of Cambodia, himself
now protected by the French Government at Saigon.

In the centre of Oudong was a large square sur-
rounded by walls with fortified gates on each of the
four sides. Within the square was the King’s palace,
protected by a second wall. It was not a very
pretentious building, being of wood, and of the
same temporary character as the rest of the town.
The King had sent a message to invite our atten-
dance, giving us at the same time a hint not to

CAMBODIA AND SIAM.

103

talk politics, as emissaries from Siam and Cochin
China had, he said, arrived to inquire as to the
meaning of so unusual an occurrence, as the
presence of an English ship at Komput.

At this time the King of Cambodia was Phra
Harirak, or Ongduong, He was about fifty years
of age, and had ruled Cambodia seven years.

Fifteen years before, the Cochin Chinese of
Annam had protected the Cambodians from the
attacks of the Siamese, and had placed on the
throne a princess named Neac Ong Ban. The unfor-
tunate Queen being detected in a correspondence
with her relations, was condemned and decapitated
by the Annamite General, who placed her sister on
the throne ; but after a series of revolts and
massacres the oppression of the Cochin Chinese
compelled the Cambodians to appeal to the King of
Siam, who, after defeating the Annamite troops,
restored order in the country, and placed Ongduong
on the throne. He was, however, constrained by
the Siamese to promise tribute to the King of Cochin
China, and the latter agreed to join Siam in re-
cognising him as King of Cambodia, and leaving the
country in peace, undisturbed by the invasions which
had been an annual infliction. The King, whose
full style and titles were Somdetch Phra Harirak
Maka Issara Tibodi, was not only a tributary of
Cochin China, but also a vassal of Siam, and might
not leave the country without the permission of
the King of Siam, while his eldest son, Eachabodi,

104

PIONEEBING IN THE FAB BAST.

had been sent to Bangkok as guarantee of his loyalty
to Siam. Subsequently to my visit at Oudong, I made
this young man’s acquaintance in Siam, and then
thought that doubtless he and the country which
he might be called upon to rule, would benefit by
the teachings which the somewhat more advanced
and settled condition of Siam could afford him.

At the appointed time, the King received us in
audience with rather a poor attempt at regal state.
There was a sort of throne, and the assembled
pages and nobles who were all dressed in red gold-
laced coats, were lying on the floor, awaiting the
monarch’s arrival. I found that the proper head-
covering for full dress was a hat resembling that
worn by stage banditti, with a high-pointed peak
and a very broad brim, the hat-band being replaced
by a species of coronet. The early Portuguese
navigators must, I think, have introduced these, to
which they appeared to attach much importance,
and as those now in use were in a very dilapidated
4. condition anxious inquiries were made as to my

!: ability to supply new ones. Head-coverings seemed,

in fact, to be a weakness in courtly circles at
Oudong ; for when invited to the audience, I was
asked whether it was true that Europeans usually
wore a black hat of a very peculiar construction.
When I had admitted this, and given a description
of it, much disappointment was evinced on learning
that I could not gratify His Majesty by appearing
in the European hat.

CAMBODIA AND SIAM. lOo

The King, a middle-aged, comfortable, somewhat
heavy, but benevolent-looking man, with features
deeply marked by small-pox, now made his appear-
ance. He was surrounded by a crowd of women —
mostly young girls — who did not in any essential
way differ in appearance or dress from Malay
women ; except that their heads were shaved,
leaving only the Siamese tuft of short, bristly
hair; the teeth were filed and blackened after the
disgusting Malay fashion ; the sarong also was
gathered up, and fastened with a girdle, the bosom
being covered only with a salendong. They were,
doubtless, fair representatives of the two or thi’ee
hundred said to inhabit the royal Zenana.

The King expressed himself as being very pleased
with our visit, inquired as to our journey, regretting
that he had been unable to do more for our comfort,
and then, entering upon matters touching trade,
told iis of the former prosperity of the country,
when large ships came up the Cambodian Eiver ;
but he added that there was still a large .trade to
be done, and as a practical proof of this, on my
return I brought back a valuable cargo of rice,
pepper, raw^ silk, ivory, tortoise-shell, cardamoms,
gamboge, stick-lac, &c. A large quantity of buffalo
hides and horns, having to be brought down a canal,
were intercepted by the Cochin-Ohinese. Having
conversed with us for some time — amongst other
things upon the subject of the currency of the
country, and intimating that he wished me to pro-

106 pioNBEEiisra in the far bast.

cure him a coining machiine ('whioli was subsequently
sent to Mm) — the Eng entered upon business with
his officials, most of whom had some report to give,
which appeared occasionally to cause great amuse-
ment. We took our leave, after having offered to
the King some handsome presents, which were
graciously accepted.

We were twice invited to the King’s private
apartments, which, as far as appearances went,
might have been a pawnbroker’s shop in a poor
locality. There were, of course, some valuable
articles there, but it was a singular medley of things
— Japanese, Chinese, Malay, and European manu-
factures, arranged in a manner which showed that
neither their value nor their intended purposes were
understood. We were entertained very hospitably,
most of the dishes being of the nature of stews,
prepared in Chinese fashion ; as to the compo-
sition of which, it were better not to inquire too
curiously. The King honoured us by his presence,
though he did not join in the feast, but went round,
pointing out the delicacies, carrying all the while
his youngest son, of whom he seemed very proud.
He subsequently conducted us through a very neat
garden, and on leaving, presented us with silk
stuffs which had been woven in the palace. An
elephant of huge size was subsequently offered, but
this I gratefully declined to accept.

During this visit, the Eng had been more com-
municative as to the state of the country. He said

OAMBODlA AND SIAM.

107

that he was very anxious that English ships should
again come up the river ; but when I asked him as
to protection through Cochin China, he said, “ Good
heavy guns will be your best passport.”

Two French missionaries arrived from the in-
terior to see me. They had heard of the arrival of
an English ship, and having had no news for years
from the Western World, had bought an elephant,
and made a fatiguing journey. They told of dread-
ful persecutions which the missionaries endured in
Cochin China ; they themselves had been imprisoned
in underground dungeons and tortured, and had
narrowly escaped the death which had been the
portion of many of the converts and some of their
brethren. They were eager for news, and astonished
to hear of the Revolutions in Europe and the de-
thronement of Louis Philippe.

I made several excursions on ponies covered with
hells and gaudy trappings, and visited several settle-
ments on the Cambodian River, which here is a
magnificent broad stream. On the banks were
thousands of storks, herons, and other aquatic
birds, but the bustle of the commerce once carried
upon it was no longer there. There were few boats
on the river, and the settlements upon the banks
were few and scattered.

We spent about a week at Oudong, and then
returned on elephants, which was a quicker mode of
locomotion than carts, and not nearly so fatiguing.
So long a journey on elephants, was, however, a

108

PIOHEEBINO IN T3E EAR EAST.

Bew experience, and on one occasion it became an
exciting one. We found the forest on fire, the

animal took fright, set up a startling roar, and
bolted at a pace something between a trot and
a gallop, but at a prodigious rate, which made the
howdah sway like a boat in the sea-way. I was a
little alarmed as to the consequences, but he was
finally brought under command again; otherwise,
we used to be on excellent terms. A large quantity
of Chinese sweetmeats had been given me at
Oudong, and as I did not relish them, I used, at
halting-places, to regale my elephant, who was
delighted with them.

Having completed the loading of the ship at
Komput, we set sail for Singapore, which we
reached in the middle of June.

Thus ended ray journey to Cambodia, of which
the result, from a commercial point of view, was
very satisfactory, and inaugurated a trade which
has since been increasing ; but Cambodia will never
recover even the shadow of its former prosperity,
till the Mekong, the magnificent highway which
nature gave it, shall again be available from its
upper waters to the sea.

When returning from Cambodia, I fulfilled my
promise to the King to plead the interests of his
country, and I had hoped that English enterprise
would set in in that direction; but subsequent
events threw these regions into the hands of the
French. It suited the policy of Hapoleou III. to

CAMBODIA AND SIAM.

109

renew Frencli prestige in tMs part of the world,
Tbe cause of religion, and the cruel treatment of
French missionaries, was the pretext for inter-
ference, and it can scarcely be a cause for regret
that this should be so ; but when I visited Saigon
twenty years later I could not help seeing that the
French — though a people with noble instincts, a
highly gifted and great nation — ^yet have not the
art of colonising.

In the evolution of time there will probably
again be a great future for the beautiful countries
of Indo-Ohina and the Eastern Archipelago gene-
rally; but though Western civilisation will doubtless
supply the motive power, the real work of rehabili-
tating them must be supplied by other races.

It has already been mentioned how a recent
mission to negotiate a Treaty of Commerce with
Siam had failed. The King would not receive the
British plenipotentiary, and it was thought that the
British Government would take offence, and force
Siam into a more friendly course. Petitions, both
for and against coercion, were sent home from
Singapore, and Siam was preparing for defence.

On the eve of leaving Cambodia, a rumour had
reached me that the old King of Siam was dead,
and this had caused some interest among the com-
mercial community at Singapore, for it was known
that the heir to the throne was an enlightened
man, and well-inclined towards Europeans.

Under these circumstances it was thought

110 PIONEEBI?JG IN THE EAE BAST.

possible to renew commercial intercourse with
Siam. I was asked, and gladly consented,
to make the attempt ; I was to call at the
ports on the Malayan coast going up, in order
to ascertain the truth of the rumour, as to the
King’s death, and only if it was confirmed, to
shape my course for the river Menam.

Our vessel bore quite a warlike aspect ; she
carried no less than ten guns, which, however, as
there were frequent acts of piracy in the Oulf, were
not unnecessary. Having left Singapore on the
23rd of June, we passed Cape Roumania, the
southernmost point of Asia, and had before night
left the well-known rock Pedro Branco out of sight.
Sailing pleasantly along the low forest-clad coast of
the Malay Peninsula, we found ourselves on the
fifth day off Tringanu, and anchored within two
miles of the river. I landed, and went to the house
of the Chinese Bandar, with whom I was well
acquainted, but found him absent. Meanwhile
messengers came to invite me to the Rajah’s pre-
sence. His Highness, who was sitting in an open
shed, was very friendly and full of questions as to
the object of my trip, but as I came to seek infor-
mation, not to give any, and he either could not or
would not impart any respecting affairs in Siam, I
soon took my leave. He told me, however, that he
had lately taken three piratical boats, and pointed
towards three large junks, partly burnt, in one of
which twenty-three men had been killed. A few

CAMBODIA AND SIAM.

Ill

years before this same Rajah "was one of the worst
pirates on the coast, having a number of piratical
crafts cruising about on his own account; Singa-
pore being so near, he now found it more convenient
to pose as the suppressor of piracy, but whether
these boats really were pirates, who could say ? I
was assured by Chinese that one of them at least
was not.

We continued our course north, with light sea-
breezes by day, and the land wind at night, and the un-
broken forests of Malacca always in view. We were
next to call at Oalantan ; and on the 30th, towards
evening, we came in sight of five large Chinese
junks at anchor, and as we doubted not this was the
place we were seeking, we bore down for it, but the
junks looked very suspicious ; and as trading junks
ought long before to have left for China, we began
to suspect that we now saw before us the piratical
fleet of which we had heard at Cambodia ; we,
therefore anchored at some distance, opened our
gun-ports, and gave ourselves, as much as possible,
the appearance of a man-of-war, which apparently
had the desii’ed effect, for the next morning the
suspected crafts had disappeared.

It took three hours’ pull to reach the town, which
is ten miles up the river. I made for the Rajah’s
house, followed by a crowd of people. Just as I
reached the place, two newly-caught elephants were
brought in, followed by a number of tame ones,
which apparently had been employed in the hunt.

112

PIOXEBRING IN THE PAB BAST.

These Eajahs all being tributary to Siam, were
greatly interested in the precarious relation-
ship in which that country was now understood to
stand to the British Government. They were well
acquainted with the failure of Sir James Brooke’s
mission, and would apparently have liked a war.
As regarded the death of the King, they professed
ignorance, though admitting that rumours to that
effect were about.

The next state on the coast, Sangara, was
reached on the 4th July. The Rajah of this country
is a vassal of Siam, and the people looked more
like Siamese than Malays. I expected to obtain
reliable news here, and, partly to avoid losing time,
partly that our vessel might run no risk from
pirates, which we learned had, a short while ago,
actually carried off the Rajah, holding him at a
ransom of 10,000 dollars, we anchored eight miles
from the coast, and I went ashore. The residence
of the Rajah was surrounded with walls ; he was a
pure Siamese, and I had to converse with him
through an interpreter. He was extremely civil,
though shy in imparting information about Siam,
but told me that the old King was really dead, and
so, at last, I had obtained the news which would
justify me in shaping my course for Siam, and two
days later we anchored at the mouth of the Menam.
Three Siamese vessels were lying at anchor outside,
ready to sail for China, with tribute from the new
King to the Emperor of China. I was told that I

CAMBODIA AND SIAM.

113

■would probably meet with a friendly reception.
This was cheering, and I at once prepared to pro-
ceed to Bangkok, still some forty miles distant.

Leaving the vessel at noon, I arrived at Paknam
at three in the afternoon ; this was a rather dirty
town, with a fortress, protecting the entrance to the
river ; and here vessels bound for Bangkok, had to
undergo inspection, and to leave all arms, ammuni-
tion, and stores of a war-like character. The forts
were not of a very formidable nature, as against a
European foe, though, doubtless, capable of
defending the river against any native attack.

The commandant in charge was greatly surprised
at seeing the British flag, and could not understand
how news of the King’s death could have reached
Singapore. He evidently thought my coming there
a somewhat audacious act. I explained that I had,
during a late stay in Cambodia, heard the news of
the King’s death. “ Ah !” he said, “ are you the
one who has been visiting the King of Cambodia at
Oudong ? Then we know all about you ; but you
must return on board, and in a couple of days I
will send you word as to the King’s pleasure
regarding your taking the vessel up to Bangkok.”
But delay did not suit me ; I was well acquainted
with native tactics, and knew that this might mean
indefinite procrastination, and I thought that the
Siamese Government, being now desirous to con-
ciliate English interests, were unlikely to send the
first ship under English flag, inhospitably away. 1

114 H0NBEEIN6 IN THE I’AE BAST.

therefore mtimated that if they sent me on board
again I should not return. This had the desired
effect, and, after a couple of hours’ delay, I was
permitted to proceed up the river, a messenger
having meanwhile been despatched with the news.

I left the fort at 8 p.m., and did not reach
Bangkok till 11 next day, having sailed and pulled
by turn all night ; when, some days later, I again
leisurely ascended the river in the ship, often having
to anchor when the tide was against us. I used fre-
quently to land, and, seeing large numbers of pigeons
on the roofs of the pagodas and temples, I thought
it a good opportunity to bag some. I was thus
busily occupied, dividing my attention between two
of these sacred buildings, firing away right and left,
and had already secured several birds, when loud
shouting made me look round, and I saw a crowd
of yellow-robed Buddhist priests, armed with sticks,
rushing towards me, evidently much excited. It had
not occurred to me that I was on forbidden ground,
but as there was no mistake that hostility was in-
tended, I beat a hasty retreat to my boat, and made
a note about pigeon -shooting in Siam.

The approach to Bangkok is picturesque, the
river is skirted by gardens and plantations ; the
trees and vegetation generally being very fine ; and
as the town is approached, richly decorated temples
become more and more frequent. By and by rows
of floating houses come in view, which show that
Bangkok is reached. The plateau on which the

CAMBODIA AND SIAM.

115

city is built being low, and subject at certain times
of the year to the inundation of the river, these
floating shops, which can be moved from place to
place, are very convenient. The houses on terra
firma are, as a rule, built upon posts, like Malay
houses.

Siam, like Cambodia, and the Eastern Archi-
pelago generally, is a country with great natural
resources, but very partially developed for want of
population, which is estimated at 6,000,000, but
probably without reliable data. Siam is mainly a
level plain, formed by two spurs of mountains,
which are offshoots of a great mountain chain which
runs through the southern provinces of China.
This valley, watered in its whole length by the river
Menam, which, like the Nile, yearly overflows its
banks, leaving an alluvial deposit, is very rich for
agricultural purposes. Rice, sugar, coffee, and
other produce is largely grown, and the fruit of
Siam is, in quality, amongst the finest in the East.
In minerals also the upper part of the country is
probably rich, but they are but little worked. The
people are inclined to be indolent, and here, as
elsewhere in these parts, it is the Chinese who
are the leaven, and who, though as yet forming but
a small fraction of the population, ax’e foremost in
agricultural pursuits. As traders, however, they
have not got it quite their own way, for the
Siamese nobles, and even the princes, engage
largely in trade, and at the time I was there,

116 PIONEMEING IW the PAE EAST.

monopoly was the order of the day. The system^ is
doubtless disappearing as time goes on and treaties
with European States come into force ; but the
demands for Western manufactures by a nation,
the bulk of which is still living in a primitive
manner, must continue limited. European mer-
chants will, also, experience keen competition from
the natives and Chinese.

At the time of my arrival European trade with
Siam had for years languished ; the Portuguese,
and after them the Dutch, had been the first
in the field ; but their factories and influence no
longer existed. French enterprise had mainly been
directed towards the extension of the Church, and
England had not been very successful in her nego-
tiations for treaties. Crawfurd failed in 1822. The
treaty concluded by Burney in 1826 still made
British subjects amenable to Siamese laws, and,
finally. Sir James Brooke’s mission in 1850 had, as
we have seen, proved a failure, as had also that of
Mr. Ballestier on the part of the United States.

One Portuguese gentleman was the only repre-
sentative left of European merchants. To him I
had letters of introduction, and was received with
the greatest kindness and hospitality.

One of the obstacles to foreign trade in Siam, was
the oppressive mode of levying duty on ships. The
usage was, to take the measure across the deck,
and to pay accordingly. Besides the amount thus
charged being excessive, this acted unfairly for

CAMBODIA AND SIAM.

117

vessels of small burden. I therefore determined
that if they wanted my ship to come up the river,
they should grant me this concession ; and when the
following day, I was admitted to an interview with
the Praklang, or Foreign Minister, I told him of my
intention. He promised to do his best, which pro-
mise I fortified, according to the custom of the
country, by liberal presents ; nor was I deceived, in
due course I was informed that not only was my
request granted, but that the King intended to give
me an audience, and what was more, it was to be
an audience of a public and imposing character — in
order, as I was informed, that this change of an old
custom of the country might be made in the presence
of the notabilities of the state.

I should here mention, that the King just
deceased, being an illegitimate son, had no right
to the throne ; his half-brother, the present King’s
father, had been the real heir, and this man’s son,
fearing that his uncle might think it necessary
to firmly establish his throne by removing him,
sought safety within the monastic walls, and
became a Buddhist monk. To this he probably
owed his erudition, which in some branches of know-
ledge — ^for instance, astronomy— is said to be con-
siderable. He also had a knowledge of many
Eastern languages, including Sanscrit, as well as of
Latin and English, all of which was partly due to
missionary instruction, but mainly to self- teaching.
Hig greater knowledge had doubtless helped him

118

PIONEERING IN THE PAR EAST.

to a better appreciation of the outer world, and
bis country’s relations to it, tban bis predecessor
bad possessed.

Tbat very curious office in Siam, of Second
King, was occupied by tbe King’s brother ; tbougb
not really invested with kingly powers, be, never-
theless, enjoyed many privileges not allowed to tbe
lieges. He also bad enlightened ideas, and a desire
to adopt European civilization ; be bad a guard in
European uniform, and owned a small steamer, said
to have been constructed under bis own supervision,
was in fact, a well-informed man, desirous to promote
tbe well-being of tbe country.

On tbe day appointed for tbe audience, I went
with my Portuguese host, in a handsome barge, to
tbe palace, or rather tbat quarter of the town occu-
pied by His Majesty— a large space, surrounded by
high walls, and containing temples, barracks, and
dwelling-houses, for the royal retinue, which pro-
bably number several thousands ; tbe royal wives
alone amounting to over 500.

Having arrived at the palace, we were shown into
a room where we bad to wait some considerable
time. Here there was a large gathering of officials
in their gayest attire. The princes and great officers
of state were, however, still to come, and one by one
they arrived, carried in magnificent sedan chairs,
each with a following of from ten to thirty men ;
the emblems of their dignity — golden swords, tea-
pots, and siri-boxes — being carried before them upon

CAMBODIA AND SIAM.

119

silken cusliions. We kad been kept waiting outside
the inner walls of the palace, but they were now aU
called away, except my companion and myself.
After a while we also were inyited into an open
space in the centre of which was the audience hall.
A guard of about 200, in European uniform, white
trousers and red coats, was drawn up at the entrance
to the outer hall. We were received by the Minister
for Foreign Affairs, with whom was an interpreter,
and the Master of the Ceremonies, in a court dress,
given him, as he informed me by Sir James Brooke.
The ticklish question of “ kowtow,” or kneeling in
the King’s presence, was got over by allowing us a
low seat. A magnificent golden screen stood in
front of the porch leading to the inner hall. After
stepping past it, I saw the Siamese monarch sitting,
or rather reclining upon his throne; the Prime
Minister lying on the steps, the Princes on either
side, right and left, while the councillors and cour-
tiers, a couple of hundred of them, lay in two long
rows on their faces on either side of the hall.

The sight was a novel and rather gorgeous one.
The throne, which was raised several feet from the
floor, was richly gilded ; on either side was a golden
and silver tree. The King, whose lower garments
and girdle were glittering with gold and precious
stones, was naked to the waist, unlike his courtiers,
who all were dressed in rich robes or jackets. He
seemed past middle age, was thin, fair complexioned,
and had an air of good nature ; being in mourning

120 PIONEEEING IN THE EAE BAST.

for tlie late King, his head was shaved, the usual
custom being to leave a tuft of hair over the fore-
head. Before him lay a golden sword, with which
he was now and then playing during the audience.
But all this state left nevertheless an unpleasant
impression of the abject servility of the scene. It
was distressing to see this crowd, many of them fat
old men, in this uncomfortable crouching position,
resting on knees and elbows, and not daring to lift
their faces during the whole of the audience. It
represented but too faithfully the condition of the
people ; for as the nobles here prostrate themselves
before the King, so do they, in their turn exact
homage and slavish obedience ; and so on, through
every class of the people, one class only excepted,
viz. the “talapoins,” or priesthood; they alone
stoop to none, but on the contrary, though living
upon alms, they receive these with unconscious
indifference, the giver offering his alms with due
humility; absorbed in self-contemplation, the Bud-
dhist priest is dead to the outer world, and disregards
aU that goes on around him.

The audience did not last long. I was asked to
state my business, which was done, and repeated by
the interpreter. The King then asked a number of
questions, showing that he knew all about my visit
to Cambodia, and on the Malayan coast ; inquired
also as to the feeling in Singapore towards Siam,
and wound up by granting my request, stating at
the same time that he expected the British G-overn-

CAMBODIA AND SIAM.

121

ment -would again send an Ambassador to Siam,
when a treaty would be formally concluded. It was
his wish, he said, to do all in his power to encourage
European commerce, and he felt sure that the intro-
duction of European capital into the country would
have the effect of greatly increasing the production
of the staples of the country, and especially of
sugar.

I had written a letter congratulating the King
upon his accession, which was handed to him, and to
which he, sitting upon the throne, wrote the following
answer : —

“ Compliments and thanks from Somdet Phra
Parra-Manda, newly-exalted King of Siam, to
Mr. Helms, 26th July, 1851”; and he ordered the
great seal to be attached to it.

Two days later, I had a similar interview with
the second King, who had his troops reviewed in my
presence, and on my departure presented me with
a gold and silver flower, a sign of grace and
good-will.

The Siamese being Buddhists burn their dead,
and such a burning of the remains of two persons
related to the royal family was shortly to take place,
and to be the occasion of great festivities. It was
the day before my departure, and the Foreign
Minister received the King’s special request to
invite me. There were, I was told, about 15,000
people present. The Kings arrived in great state,
and, the burning over, there were all sorts of

122 PIONEEEING IN THE EAE EAST.

festivities, during wWcli the King, -who with his
family and suite occupied the royal box, threw new
golden and silver coins, concealed in lemons, amongst
the people. I had my place near him, between the
Foreign Minister and the son of the King of Cam-
bodia, who listened with great interest to the
account I gave him of my visit to his father’s
residence at Oudong. The King, on his departure,
addressed a few kindly words to me, and invited me
to settle in Siam.

I likewise received much courtesy from the
ministers j the Phra Kalahom (Prime Minister)
entertained me at his palace, when, after refresh-
ment, a theatrical performance was given by the
inmates of his zenana.

Presents in produce were returned, exceeding in
value those I had offered ; they consisted of 200
piculs of sugar, several piculs of gamboge, stick-lac,
&c. Finally the Government entrusted me with
a large order for all kinds of armaments, war-like
stores, machinery, &c., to the value of over £20,000;
in fact, I had every reason to be pleased with my
trip.

123

CHAPTER rV.

BORNEO.

In commencing this new chapter of my life in the
Island of Borneo, it is not my purpose to enter at
length into any description of the island, or of the
territory of Sarawak, a settlenaent which may claim
a small space in the history of the British Empire,
or at least of the British race, as the scene of the
labours of Sir James Brooke. But as a preface
to the record of my personal experiences in what
was to me an unknown land, some brief account of
Borneo in 1851 may not be thought superfluous.

This great island, inferior only to Australia, or
perhaps to New Guinea, in extent, will doubtless, in
time to come, be one of the most important countries
of the far East. Its vast resources only need de-
velopment, and its numerous rivers, rising in the
centre of the island, are ready to serve as natural
highways for the transport of the mineral and
vegetable products, which have as yet only been
partially exploited.

124 PIONEBEING IN THE FAB EAST.

Up to tte year in wliioli Sir James, then Mr.
Brooke, arrived, the country vas of little account to
the outside ■world. The Dutch, it is true, occupied
in the south and south-east the largest and the most
populous part of the island, which has an area of
about 300,000 square miles, with something like
2,000,000 inhabitants, fully one-half of which are
claimed as dependents of the Dutch, who, however,
have not the power and resources to maintain more
than a nominal rule over these vast dependencies.
A few hundred Europeans rule in Borneo over more
than one million of natives, who mostly live in the
roadless forests. The Dutch being practical people,
leave the government of savage tribes, which it will
not pay to govern, to be dealt with by Malay
Sultans, or Dyak chiefs. At the entrance of the
principal rivers they build forts, held by a com-
mandant and a small garrison, a Resident with a few
officials resides at the head-quarters of the Sultan
or Rajah, and a gun-boat or two are on the river.
This suffices to maintain the Suzerainty of the
Netherlands G-overnment, who, however, require
now and then to undertake a punitory expedition
when the Dyaks or Chinese rebel against their Malay
task-masters.

But upon the whole, rapine and bloodshed had then
ceased to be as prevalent in that part of the island
which they claimed, as they continued to be in the
remaining portion. This, though nominally subject
to the Sultan of Brunei, and the other chiefs of minor

BOENEO.

126

importance, really enjoyed no settled government,
the authority of the Sultan being mainly exercised
by means of mandates for extorting forced contri-
butions, or “ squeezes,” -whenever practicable. The
rule of the Sultan of Brunei might not inaptly be
compared with the upas tree which grows near his
palace. Oppression, originating with the Sultan,
branched off through his nobles, and from them
again through meaner subordinates, till the unfor-
tunate people were overshadowed and blighted by
a net-work of cruelty and corruption. The stronger
tribes seized the opportunity of oppressing their
weaker or less warlike neighbours, and head-hunting,
which no doubt originally was practised to obtain
trophies of war, became indiscriminate and universal.
Head-hunters roamed through the forests, while
piratical tribes scoured the coast, and the advantages
possessed by the latter were so great as compared
with the inland tribes shut out from the sea, that
they tended to develop stronger and more vigorous
races on the sea-board than in the interior. Hence
arose the distinct division of land and sea Dyaks,
between whom a chronic warfare existed, which
together with diseases such as small-pox, for which
the poor savages had no remedy, tended to depopulate
the island.

Such was the state of the country when, in 1839,
an English gentleman, James Brooke, appeared on
the scene. His antecedents were shortly these: born
in 1803, he entered the Hon. East India Company’s

126 MONEBEING IN THE EAE BAST.

service ; and served in 1825 in Burmab, where he was
severely wounded in one lung and invalided home.
The wound procured him nearly five years’ leave of
absence, and a pension of £70 a year for life.
Eeturning to India in 1830, and anxious to arrive
before the lapse of the five years’ furlough should
delay his chance of promotion, he was shipwrecked,
and proceeded to Madras in the Gastle of Euntly,
a slow vessel which successfully prevented his getting
to Bengal before the expiration of his time. He
made this an excuse for leaving the Company’s
service, the real reason, however, being that he had
conceived a taste for adventure and for the sea, and
an accidental friendship made on board had set him
longing to visit the unknown countries of the East,
and especially the islands of the Archipelago.

The Castle of Euntly went to China, and thither
Brooke went also. On his way he had an opportunity
of seeing the islands of the Eastern seas; their
beauty, and the veil of mystery which still covered
them, strengthened his longings for adventure, and
he resolved some day to return and explore these
strange seas and lands. Shortly after he returned
to England his father died, leaving him £30,000.
He was thus enabled to carry out his wish. He
bought a small schooner of 142 tons, and sailed, in
the autumn of 1838, for Singapore.

At this time the Island of Borneo was almost un-
known. The Sultan of Brunei was known by name
only, but his rule extended nominally over the entire

BOENEO.

127

iiorfcli--west coast of the island, bounded in the south
by the Dutch settlement of Sambas ; the southern-
most part of the territory of Brunei being the pro-
vince of Sarawak, which was at that time governed
by the Sultan’s uncle, Muda Hassim, who had been
sent down by the Sultan to quell a revolt, but in
which he had so far failed, the fighting resulting — -
Borneo fashion — ^in a chronic state of warfare.

At the time of Mr. Brooke’s arrival in Singapore,
some shipwrecked seamen had brought an account of
kindly treatment received by them at the hands of
Muda Hassim, and the Singapore authorities being
desirous to make some acknowledgment of this
kindly act, Brooke accepted the mission to take
letters and presents across to Sarawak, and he
anchored for the first time at Kuching on the 16th
August 1839.

Accident directed the future Rajah of Sarawak to
the scene of his labours, and doubtless circumstances
gradually wove the threads of his destiny; yet it was
a strange determination for an English gentleman
of independent fortune, eminently suited to enjoy
social life and aspire to worldly distinction, of his
own free will to choose a scene like this for his
life’s labour — for what was Sarawak at that time?
A few scattered communities, remnants of tribes,
stiU remained on the most inaccessible parts of the
lime-stone hiUs, which like islands here and there
stand out of the level sea of dense jungle. These poor
emaciated Dyaks passed a wretched existence amidst

128 PIONEEBING IN THE FAB BAST.

pigs and filth, living in continual dread, at times
descending into the lower valleys in search of food,
but furtively, as the timid deer, lest the stronger
hostile tribes should be upon them. The popula-
tion immediately surrounding Mr. Brooke’s resi-
dence consisted mainly of corrupt Malays, broadly
speaking, divided into two classes, viz. nobles and
slaves, poor and idle, and ever ready to coalesce
with the stronger Dyak tribes on the sea-coast for
the oppression of the weak. The sea Dyaks, though
the most formidable, were nevertheless by far the
best and most hopeful element of the population
for a ruler possessing adequate means for their
subjection to deal with.

But what a task for unaided private enterprise !
To stop and turn back the savagery and decay of
centuries ; to step in between the oppressor and the
oppressed with a code of morals and ideas of justice
hardly comprehensible to them; to brave all the
perils of open enmity and secret treachery and of
war-like expeditions in feverish jungles, all the
anxieties of pecuniary deficiencies for the wants of
government, and almost worst of all, in his case,
the persecution of countrymen who, with pardonable
incapacity to appreciate the circumstances amongst
which the Rajah laboured, combined the unpar-
donable assumption to judge him.

What Rajah Brooke might have made of Borneo,
but for this opposition, it is now difficult to say.
To the future historian Sir James Brooke will pro-

BOENBO.

129

bably appear a more dramatic personage by reason
of bis independent action and unmerited persecution ;
but those -wbo, like myself, were witnesses to and
understood the import of the work he was doing,
could not but deplore this senseless opposition to a
good and noble work.

That a first sight of Borneo should have inspired
a romantic disposition I can well understand.
When, on the 16th January 1852, I for the first
time steamed past Tanjong Datu in the Hon. East
India Company’s war-steamer Pluto, I beheld with
delight the country which was for so many years
to be my home. Following the coast line of the
deep bay formed by the two points Datu and Sirik,
the landscape presented ranges of picturesque moun-
tains of varying dimensions and diversified outlines.
From the range of “ Poi,” rising nearly 5,000 feet
above the sea, a succession of hills and fertile valleys
extended as far as the Sarawak river at the bottom
of the bay, the entrance being marked by the beautiful
mountain Santubong. Its steep slopes, rising from
the embouchure of the river to a height of 2,000 feet,
were covered to the very top by magnificent timber,
while the white sandy beach at its foot was bordered
by graceful casuarinas.

At the time of my arrival in Sarawak, a Com-
mission appointed by the British Government at
the instance of the Rajah’s enemies in England, to
inquire into his actions in Borneo, was about to
sit in Singapore, and this naturally oast some gloom

130

PIONBEEING IN THE BAB BAST.

over the small English community in Sarawak,
where it, was felt that the proceedings would tend
to lessen the Rajah’s prestige.

I had come to Borneo as the agent of a com-
mercial firm to buy up the antimonial ore, and
generally to develop the trade of the country, which
as yet was insignificant, the trading community
consisting of a few Chinese and Klings, whose
shops in native-built huts made up the bazaar of
Kuching. Yet humble as was this beginning of
Rajah Brooke’s capital, it was a great improvement
upon what he had found when he first arrived in
Sarawak. The comfortable Covernment House in
process of construction, half a dozen European
bungalows, and a pretty Little church, showed that
European civilisation had been fairly planted in the
country.

A memorandum recording my first arrival in
Sarawak contains the following entry : — “ Arrived
this day in the steamship Pluto from Singapore.
Called upon Captain Brooke, who asked me to take
up my residence in the Government House till such
timfl as I made my arrangements. I was during
the day introduced to Mr. Arthur Crookshank, the
magistrate; Mr. Ruppell, treasurer; Mr. Spencer
St. John, Rajah Brooke’s secretary; Mr. Orymble,
in charge of the fort ; the missionaries Fox, Nicholls,
and Chambers; and Mr. Hentig, a planter.” These,
and two or three others in subordinate positions,
constituted the European population of the town of

BORNEO.

131

Kuching on my first arrival there, the Rajah being
absent in England, and Mr., afterwards Bishop
MacDougall and family on their voyage home.

In the steamer which had brought us over
Captain Brooke and Mr. St. John embarked, to join
an expedition sent by the British G-overnment to
punish pirates who had taken an English schooner
in Maludu Bay on the north coast of Borneo.

It took nearly a month after my arrival in
Sarawak before I could take possession of the little
mat-bungalow which was to be my future residence.
It was very small — little more than a square box of
palm-leaves, divided into two parts, one being the
bed, the other the sitting-room, with a verandah
all round. It was, however, prettily situated on
the top of a hiU looking down upon the river, town,
villages, and mountain-ranges beyond ; but the
clearing at that time was not large, and the sombre
forests surrounded us on every side. My entire
staff consisted of a Chinese cook and a Kling clerk
and factotum, my faithful Abdullah, who for
twenty years served the Company and myself with
unsurpassed devotion; we shared good and evil
days together. He was my only assistant then,
and our business transactions were very trifling ;
but thousands of men were at work for us, directly
and indirectly, before I left.

But neither of these two servants hved in my
bungalow; and it speaks volumes for the effect
already produced by Rajah Brooke’s rule, that I

132 PIONBEEING !N TUB PAR EAST.

felfc it safe to live absolutely alone in this jungle-
surrounded bungalow, having no one within call.

With adequate occupation for body and mind, I
soon fell into this mode of life, lonely though it
seemed at first. Coming, as I did, with consider-
able experience from different parts of the East,
and having been in close contact with natives of
various races and classes, I soon understood the
situation here.

My principal business during the first two years
in Sarawak was to attend to the working and
shipping of antimony ore, which then was obtained
by the Chinese and Malay gold-diggers, who, as the
means of earning money in Sarawak were as yet
few, were eager to work the mines, while Dyaks
from Seribas and Sakarran, who but a few years
before had been a dread to the land Dyaks, were
now working peaceably side by side with these;
next to the Chinese these men were our best work-
men. Considering the mixture of nationalities and
tribes working here together, there were sur-
prisingly few disputes ; most of those which did
occur arose from the attempts of Malays to outwit
and impose upon the more honest and simple-
minded Dyaks, of whom we rarely had to complain.

A good deal has been written about the honesty
of the Dyaks, and doubtless, as a rule, this is true ;
but they were not immaculate, as the following
story will show

On arriving at my office one morning I dis-

BORNEO.

133

covered that the safe was open and about 700
dollars had been abstracted. The accomplishment
of the theft had been easy enough, for the thief had
got possession of the key, which had been left in a
writing-desk in the office. But in order to escape
with his booty the culprit had also to steal a boat,
which, as he was paddling down the river, was
by good luck recognised by the owner, who re-
possessed himself of it ; the heavy basket of dollars
then attracted attention, and, in short, -within a few
hours my property was restored. The man was
put in irons, but escaped, and found means once
more to conceal himself in my office, where, one
morning, we found that the safe had been again
attempted, this time, however, without success.
The audacity of the attempt at once led me to
suspect my previous visitor, and thinking it not
improbable that a third attempt might be intended,
I had the office searched, and sure enough our
Dyak friend was found concealed in a loft overhead,
whence, through a hole in the ceiling, he had
leisurely watched my proceedings. Once more he
was consigned to the fort, from which he escaped
when the Chinese attacked it.

Eajah Brooke had wisely adapted his system of
government to the circumstances by which he was
surrounded. To have attempted violent reforms,
based upon western ideas of morality and justice,
would have been hopeless. The amelioration of the
condition of the people was a work requiring time

134 . FIONEIEING IN THE fAE EAST.

aBd pationce. He took- bo steps of importance
witlioiit taking tlie people into Ms confidence, and

he, in fact, associated the chiefs who had exercised
authority previous to his arrival in the government.
These, who bore the title of Datu, were three in
number, and amongst them and their descendants
there were men of the best Malayan type able,
gentlemanly, and courteous.

I attended every Wednesday at the Court, which
was presided over by the Rajah, Captain Brooke,
or Mr. Crookshank, and where the Datus also
assisted and joined in the examination of cases
with the greatest intelligence ; it was a Court of
Equity guided to some extent by Mahomedan laws
and usages.

Criminal as well as civil cases were brought
before us, but a great proportion were debt cases.
The Kling traders particularly were very litigious,
and seemed to enjoy it, law being cheap. I have
reason to know that entirely fictitious cases,
which it took us hours to examine, were got up,
and that it was a subject of betting who should
gain his case.

In latter days trial by jury was introduced in
criminal cases, and when the accused were China-
men, the jurymen were selected from Europeans,
Malays, and Chinese. I will not express an opinion
as to whether the system was a safe one under such
circumstances, but, as foreman of the jury, other-
wise composed of the Malay chiefs and principal

BOENEO.

135

Chinese traders, I usually found it impossible to
extract an independent opinion ; the answer to my
question, “ Gruilty, or not guilty ? ” usually was,
“ Apa katta tuan ? ” (What do you say, sir ?)

The first five years of my life in Sarawak were
passed in uneventful quiet, but I look back upon
them with unfeigned pleasure. Our society con-
sisted entirely of the gentlemen connected with the
Rajah and his Government, of the mission, of which
Mr. MacDougall was the head, about fifteen in all
(including only one lady), and of these some were
stationed on the coast; but these latter were fre-
quent visitors at head-quarters, where they were
always welcome, for the Rajah did not keep
young men who had joined him, and laboured in
the common cause, under strict rules of discipline.
He surrounded himself with gentlemen, and knew
well that such work most zealously when trusted
and left to themselves, and nobly they did their
duty— many of them giving their lives for the
cause. It is with a feeling of sadness that I think
of them all ; for few are left, and to most of them
their life's labour must have seemed a thankless
task — not excepting their chief himself. In reality,
however, they did not work in vain, though it
might appear so then. The truth is, that in civilis-
ing a country so deeply sunk in barbarism as was

Sarawak when Sir James Brooke first arrived there,
the labour of one lifetime is not rewarded by the
fruition of success; whether we regard the govern-

136

PIONEEBTNG TN THE EAR EAST.

ment, or the church mission, or the commercial
devel^ment of the country, the first twenty-five
years seemed to have brought nothing but dis-
appointment and vexation of spirit, though in

reality the foundation was then laid for others to
build upon.

Unhappily the time was not distant when
shadows were to fall over the little community,
when affection, confidence, and friendship, the
growth of years, were to be destroyed ; but this
time was not yet. I am writing of 1856 , the year
preceding the Chinese insurrection. The deadly
disease which had afflicted the Eajah had been over-
come, without apparently affecting him;^ he was
convalescent, and his gentleness and winning man-
ners were probably never more conspicuous to his
friends than at this period of thankfulness for his
recovery, when the affection of his surviving friends

Europeans and natives — must have been soothing

to his mind. At this period I stayed with him at
the sanitarium which Captain Brooke had built for
Tnifn on the mountain of Serambu, and the charm of
his society is still vivid in my recollection. Later
on, at Kuching, during our evening rides, when he
used to walk his old Arab along the two miles of
road which was all that Kuching then boasted, he
liked to talk over the political and commercial pro-
spects of the country, to hear of my doings, and to
give the latest information which the natives had
brought — it might be touching some discovery of

BORNEO.

137

coal or other mineral, such as they were always
bringing, generally with nothing in it. “ I shall
make you an abang, Helms,” he once laughingly
said to me, “if that turns out a workable coal-
seam.” The material prosperity and commercial
progress of the country was a matter very near his
heart, and as I was naturally likewise deeply in-
terested in it, there was a bond of sympathy
between us. He took a lively interest in every
new step of our commercial career. At one time I
had the pleasure of inviting him to turn on steam
to work the first engine which had ever been used
for manufacturing purposes in the island of Borneo ;
at another, to celebrate the departure of the first
English ship which carried the produce of Borneo
to Europe direct.

My time was divided between my office and the
antimony mines, and I was brought into daily con-
tact with all classes of the population. The people
at first were poor, and came to me for advances, to
enable them to collect the produce of the forest, to
build boats, or to undertake trading adventures, and
it was interesting to watch the development of the
resources of the country. I was at first somewhat
impatient at what seemed the slowness of the process.
I would willingly have seen these small rivulets of
trade, which began to trickle out of the boundless
wealth of Borneo’s resources, rapidly expand into a
broad stream of commerce, but experience taught
me that time had to be accounted with ; trade is an

PIONEEEING IN THE FAB EAST.

important civilizing agent, but it could not at once
alter tbe habits of the people, the great bulk of
whom were poor, idle, and distrustful, all the result
of misrule and oppression. They had to learn tha,t
their earnings were secure before they thought it
worth while to work for the acquisition of property.
As yet, the Chinese trading element was not large.
As it increased, the trade developed, and the com-
bined effect of regular Government and increasing
prosperity had a wonderful effect upon tbe people ,
but we need not go to Borneo for illustrations to
prove that poverty is an incentive to crime, while
prosperity brings decency and order into the outward
life, as well as self-respect and contentment.

My pleasantest duties in Borneo were those con-
nected with the mines in Upper Sarawak. In after
years I had occasion to explore the country carefully,
and ascended most of the mountains, which, as they
are chiefly of the limestone formation, are, as a rule,
difficult to ascend, but very picturesque. The two
streams which form the Sarawak river, originating
in a range of sandstone mountains 3,000 feet high,
unite some fifteen miles from their sources and flow
through a limestone formation, and scenery of ex-
ceeding beauty. In the district embraced by the
two streams, the antimony and gold was mainly
worked, though not confined within this boundary,
and as the greater part of the ore was obtained by
the natives and Chinese in shallow diggings, the
washing of the soil yielding gold-dust, often amongst

BOENEO.

139

the boulders of antimony, the men, scattered in small
parties over the district, were frequently changing
their ground. I used to find them workingthe ore in
the most varied localities, now in some picturesque
dell in the mountains, or in crevices deep within
them, or on tower-like summits or craggy pinnacles
only accessible by ladders, and yet, in such unlikely
places, the water-worn boulders of the richest ore
might be found lying like so many eggs in a nest ;
in other places, these boulders lay deep in the clayey
soil, from which the Chinese, by extensive trenching
and sluicing operations, extracted both gold and
antimony. It is wonderful that in a comparatively
small district this has been going on for forty or
fifty years, apparently yielding as much metal as
when it was the cause of the wars going on in the
country when Sir James Brooke first arrived there.
Occasionally we came across dykes, containing the
antimony in situ, but as a rule these had been
decomposed and broken up through the action of
water. In some cases, again, we found the antimony
in large masses, and of the richest quality, embedded
in clay slate.

This district was reached from Kuching by boat.
The voyage, which took about four hours, was pleasant
enough; we reclined on mats and pillows, in a boat
well screened against sun and rain, and propelled by
a crew of lusty Malays, whose songs, often impro-
vised, formed an accompaniment to the regular
strokes of the paddles.

140 PIONEEEINO IN THE NAB EAST.

Tte scenery in tie upper part of tbe river, par-
ticularly of tbe right branch, is extremely beautiful.
Tbe stream grows shallow here, with rapids ; the
rocks and pebbles are seen through the clear
water, which in many places has worn its bed deep
in the limestone, undermining the river-banks,
leaving huge shelving masses of limestone over-
hanging the water, upon which often grow mighty
trees of fantastic shape, suspended over the river in
a manner which makes one wonder how the roots
can sustain the enormous weight. Overhead the
branches meet, forming a green vault, and from
which are suspended all the wondrous vegetable
forms of the tropical forest. Garlands of creepers,
and ferns in endless variety, hue and form ; flowers,
too, though seemingly not abundant, are there, but
owing to the height of the trees they are not readily
observed without a glass ; of orchids caelogyne,
dendrobium, vanda, cyprapedium, and above all the
rhododendron, here an orchid, delight the senses by
their beauty and fragrance. Nor is the dense mass
of the surrounding foliage without its variety of
tint, and its sombre hue serves to show off the
graceful and flowering plants which line the bank.
Here is the tree-fern, fifteen to twenty feet high,
and above the white and crimson masses of the
clerodendron are seen the orange and golden
ioxora and the lilac bongor. Here and there the
precipitous sides of the limestone hills, looking like
the hoary walls of some ancient ruin, covered with

T/if£ J-rOAT

BORNEO.

141

moss, ferns, and creeping plants, are seen above the
trees, forming a picturesque setting to the beautiful
vegetation. Now and again, marking past or present
Dyak settlements, are groves of palms, or graceful
groups of bamboo, while high over all the stately
tapang tree rears its crown on a stem, straight as
the poplar, and often 150 feet to the first branch.

How pleasant it was, after a day of fatigue and
jungle-work, to glide down the stream amidst the
great stillness of the forests, leisurely scanning the
enchanting vista, while the sun was high in the sky.
Gaudy kingfishers on che river-side, flitted before the
boat; or argus, or fire-back pheasants, leisurely taking
wing across the river. A wood-pigeon, perhaps, sat
high on some exposed branch ; or flocks of beautiful
doves, of green, chocolate, yellow, and pink shades,
passed on in rapid flight. Overhead, a whizzing noise
might be heard : it would be the great wings of a
flock of hornbills, who, with regular and powerful
strokes, made a straight course for their destination.
But of the songs of birds there were none, and when
a flock of crows began to caw, it sounded like the
sweet voices of old friends.

But when the sun got low on the horizon, the
animal world gave -signs of life; the call of birds,
and buzz of insects then began, and as night ap-
proached, the latter became more noisy; above all,
the cicada, a green creature, with transparent wings
a couple of inches long, sent forth piercing sounds
which may be heard a mile away. It begins with a

142 PIONBBEING IN THE BAB EAST.

Strong, trumpet note, wMch has been likened to the
sharpening of a steel knife on a grindstone, but
infinitely more penetrating. This note is very pro-
longed, and is followed rapidly by others, gradually
getting fainter, at last dying away, when it begins
anew with the first note, and so continues, fiUing the
stillness of the night with its noisy trumpeting.

Often have these sounds sent me to sleep, when
lying in my boat, moored in the deep shade of the
overhanging trees ; the rustling water running by,
the surroundings solemn and dim, yet not all dark-
ness, for there were trees and bushes overhanging
the stream, throbbing with a brilliant light ; and
where the fire-flies in myriads flashed their light
upon the darkness ; it was as though thousands of
tiny stars were pulsating with a fitful glow, or as if
electric sparks were flashing from the leaves.

The description here given of a Bornean jungle,
may seem irreconcilable with the allusions to it
which I have made elsewhere, but the limestone
district of Tipper Sarawak is one of exceptional
beauty; the marshy plains and mangrove swamps
which extend over most of the districts bordering
the sea, are well described as a “sweltering jungle,”
or rather an impenetrable tangle and network of
roots, covering unknown depths of mud. But even
the fair scenes just referred to, lose somewhat of
their charm when the explorer leaves his boat and
enters the jungle, cutting his path laboriously
through creepers and parasites, till he chances on

BOENEO.

14B

some Djak path, which, however, to the new comer
will at first present a hardly less difficult problem.
A Dyak path is formed of stems of trees or bamboo,
often only a few inches in diameter, and raised one
or more feet from the ground. They are placed end
to end, and upon these rough, unsteady, and often
slippery sticks, the traveller walks up and down,
over hill and swamp, not seldom losing his balance,
and landing in the mud ; in any case, to the novice,
this kind of locomotion is most fatiguing, as he
; always has to fix his attention upon the path.

Meanwhile the mosquitoes torment him, and at the
■ end of his journey, or if he come to a stream, which,

covered as he is with mud and perspiration, invites
him to a cooling bath, he will probably find himself
covered with leeches, which no precaution or dress
will keep off. I remember on one occasion picking
i off as many as twenty-seven. Under such ciroum-

I stances, a tropical forest does not inspire the same

j feelings of sentimental enthusiasm, as when one

j views it comfortably reclining in a boat, and per-

chance reading the latest home news, while the
f Malays are preparing a delicious curry on some

pebbly bank in the river, some cooking the rice,

I others preparing the chicken ; while others again

seek an edible fern, the pako, which imparts a most
! delicious flavour.

But a search for minerals, which was often the
object of my expeditions, cannot always be prose-
cuted in boats; these have at times to be left

' ■ '■ ■■ ' ■ ■ ■ ■■■■■■■

j ■ ,

I ■ '

144

PIONEEEING IN THE EAB EAST.

securely fastened in some creek, wMle tte exploring
party dives into the jungle, labouring through r in
the manner described, and not altogether^ withou
danger. The Dyaks are in the habit of setting traps
for the wild pigs and deer which roam about the
woods. These consist of a sort of bamboo-spear,
arranged in such a manner that when a cord, which
is drawn through the grass or underwood, is touched,
a strong sapling, which is held back by this string,
and acts as a powerful spring, flies back, and drives
the spear with great force in a horizontal direction,
and at an elevation from the ground, calculated
according to the game it is intended to kill. If set
for a pig, it would probably pass through a man s
leg, if he were so unfortunate as to touch the cord
while labouring through the underwood of the
jungle ; but, if set for deer, it would pass through
some more vital part. When roaming through the
jungle, as I used to do, these contrivances were a
constant cause of anxiety, as the marks which the
Dyaks place for their own information are so un-
certain that they themselves at times meet with
accideats.

When night comes on, the Malays, or Dyaks,
quickly arrange a platform of branches, and an
awning of leaves, which form a sufficient covering
for a night’s shelter. If, however, a Dyak village
is reached, quarters are rarely refused, except the
village or house be “ pamali ” or tabu. But a land
Dyak settlement is, as already remarked, as a rule.

iS4M5

BOBNBO.

145

unsavoury and filthy. A short description wiU,
however, be necessary.

The construction and plan o£ the villages of the
land and sea Dyak tribes are, in principle, the same.
The houses of the latter are often 500 feet long,
built upon heavy piles, 80 feet to 40 feet high, the
object being to make them defensible against their
enemies. The land Dyaks being weaker, and always
on the defensive against the more powerful tribes of
sea Dyaks, seek protection by settling upon the
most inaccessible hill-tops, and rely more upon the
natural strength of these fastnesses than the defen-
sibility of their houses. These are therefore neither
so large, strong, nor high as those of the sea Dyaks,
and as the ground upon which they build is usually
upon the slope or rocky summit of a hill, they have
no room for the large and regular houses built in
terraces, which form a sea Dyak village, and which
often contain upwards of fifty families. A hill Dyak
settlement, therefore, usually consists of several
houses built over or between rocks, or in any position
which the ground will admit, and do not, as a rule,
contain more than a dozen families.

A visit to one of these settlements involves usually
a stiff walk from the river, over such paths as have
already been described, leading through jungle,
swamp, or paddy-fields, usually to the foot of a hid
or mountain. As one gets nearer, the road begins
to ascend, and when approaching the settlement,
groves of fruit-trees are seen, often in great abund-

146 PIONBiillllNG IN THE FAE EAST.

ance and of gigantic size. Thus, under the shade
of durian, mango, mangosteen, &c., the traveller,
unless accustomed to Dyak paths, plods on his way
rather wearily, balancing and steadying himself with
a long stick, which his native followers will have cut
for him, but nevertheless, every now and then losing
his balance and stepping into the mud, which, in
the rainy season, may be knee, or even waist deep.
The road meanwhile gets steeper, and at last the
batangs, as the trees or bamboos under foot are
called, can be ascended only by means of notches,
which have been cut in them, to make them into a
sort of ladder, though an awkward one. At last
the olfactory organs receive unmistakable evidence
that a settlement is near. Groves of palm-trees
come in sight, either the cocoa, areca, gumuti, or
perhaps sago-palm, which usually surround the
houses of old settlements.

Dyak houses, whether large or small, whether
owned by sea or land Dyaks, are, as already stated,
built upon one plan. Those now under consideration
are usually not above fifteen to twenty feet from the
ground, the posts being slight, and therefore numer-
ous. Under and round the house all is soft mud,
reeking with the exhalations of every kind of refuse
from the house, which passes through the open floor,
and in which pigs and mangy dogs are wallowing.
A number of families, differing according to circum-
stances from half a dozen upwards, occupy one
house, one large roof covering them all ; the floor

BOENEO.

147

is formed of strips of the nebong palm, so fastened
together as to leave a space between each. The
house is lengthwise divided into two divisions j the
one forming a long, broad verandah, common to all
the inmates. The other is subdivided into apart-
ments, of which one or two are occupied by each
family. Each such room has three doors, one leading
to the verandah, and one on each side, leading to
the neighbouring apartments. The fourth side has
a sort of skylight, or trap-door, which, though it is
part of the roof, can yet be raised, and so admit
air and light.

While each room is sacred to the privacy of a
Dyak family, the verandah is common to all the
inmates; here the various indoor occupations are
carried on. The women husk the paddy by pounding
in a trough or wooden mortar, and thus furnish the
daily supplies of rice ; or they make mats or baskets,
while the men carve rough wooden ornaments, or
handles for arms.

The visitor is usually invited to a seat or raised
platform at one end of the house ; this is in fact,
the family lounge. If the stranger comes at a time
when no labour is going on in the fields, he will,
after having taken his seat, speedily find himself
surrounded by the inmates of the village, and will
be impressed according to his temperament with
disgust at their uncleanliness, pity for their ignorance
and poverty, or surprise at the contrast between
their miserable condition and the beauty and re-

148 PIOITEEEING IN IHB FAB EAST.

sources of tte wide domains over wMcli these tribes
claim dominion.

A few words may be said here about the tribes
which inhabit this part- of Borneo. There is no
reason to suppose that the aborigines of Borneo
differ in race from other natives of the Eastern
Archipelago. Here as elsewhere, the peopling of the
island was doubtless effected by successive waves of
immigrants, each new wave forcing the former one
further inland. But it is only in the thirteenth
century that history affords distinct information on
this subject. In the chapter on Bali, allusion has
been made to the powerful Hindoo state, Majah-
pahat, in Java. The rulers of this state appear to have
exercised power even as far as the shores of Borneo.
As early as the thirteenth century, colonies from
Java were settled on the southern and western
coasts of Borneo, and it was not till the fall of that
Empire, in 1478, that these colonies obtained their
independence and became separate states, after-
wards subdued more or less completely by the
Dutch. These colonists, intermarrying with the
aborigines, no doubt introduced the Hindoo religion
amongst them, of which there are distinct traces.

There is nothing in the appearance of these
tribes to stamp them with any inferiority, as com-
pared with the other tribes and nations of the
Eastern Archipelago. Stunted, lean, and melancholy-
looking, they bear the traces of cruelty and oppres-
sion ; but their features are, if anything, better

BOENBO.

149

than those of the Malays, and there is no want of
intelligence, though simplicity, and even gentleness,
is often the general expression of their features.
There are, perhaps, few instances in the history of
the early dealings of white men with savages, where
they have approached the former with such feelings
of trustfulness as these poor tribes evinced towards
Sir James Brooke and those who followed in his
footsteps in Borneo. Still retaining the traditions
and practising some of the religious rites of their
more civilised ancestors — sacrificing to good and
evil genii — they not unnaturally regarded the white
man, who so suddenly appeared amongst them and
brought them visible blessings, as endowed with
higher powers, and the visit of such a one amongst
them was the occasion of rejoicings and festivities.
The tribe was called together, fowls and pigs were
sacrificed as a propitiation to secure good harvests,
large families, and other blessings; then followed
feasting and dancing, accompanied by deafening
sounds of gong and tom-tom, and the traveller in
all the entertainments was treated as the honoured
guest.

Writers on Borneo have been of opinion that in
the superstitions and religious practices of these
tribes are to be found traces, not only of the reli-
gion of Hindustan, but also of the pagan rites of
the Polynesians. The latter supposition is based
mainly upon the fact that Tabu, or, as they call it
Pamali or Porich, is practised by the Dyaks. If a

150

PIONEBEING IN THE EAE BAST.

person dies in a village, communication witli the
outside world is cut off for many days ; so also, if
a member of a family is ill, that family is cut off
from communication with its neighbour ; and so in
other important actions of life, such as after the
sowing of the fields, &c. Doubtless, this would
seem to point to some communication between
these tribes and the Pacific islanders, though this can
be only surmised; but, as regards Brahmanical
rites, we have positive knowledge, for not only have
Hindoo stone idols been found in the country, but
the religious beliefs and superstitions of the Dyaks
are clearly based upon Hindoo mythology. The
Tapa, or Jevata (which word recalls the Devatff of
the Vedas), whom the Dyaks consider the Supreme
Being, is equivalent to Brahma ; and here we find
that, as in Hindustan, his attributes are divided
into a sort of Trinity, or Trimurti, viz. Tenabe,
Jange, Jirong, the creator, upholder, and destroyer.
The Dyak idea of a future state appears very hazy.
They appear to retain some traces of a belief in the
transmigration of the soul. These Dyaks burn
their dead, and in the cloud of smoke the soul of
the virtuous is supposed to ascend, and to enter
upon a spiritual existence in the jungle; while the
smoke from the cremated body of the vicious
descends to the regions below. But the spirit is
sometimes believed to inhabit a tree, and so, to
some extent, though not entirely, to lose its
identity.

BOENEO.

151

Like most barbarous and savage nations, tke
Dyak identifies his gods and spirits with the great
phenomena of nature, and assigns them abodes on
lofty mountains.

Besides the Trimurti, the Dyak seems to believe
in two classes of spirits, each of which has many
subdivisions, viz. Umot, spiritual beings like the
Nats of the Burmese, and Mino, the ghosts or
spirits of dead men. Some of these spirits are
malignant, while others are merely mischievous;
the former kind, such as Umot-trin, or Kamang,
delight in war and bloodshed, and are appeased by
propitiatory offerings. They are supposed to join
in sanguinary feasts, such as the “ head ” feast,
when the heads of fallen enemies are being cured,
or dried over slow fires, preparatory to their de-
posit in the head-house. Though all spirits are not
equally malignant, all are more or less dreaded.
The silent surroundings of primaeval forests, in
which the Dyak spends much of his time, the moun-
tains and gloomy caves, often looming mysteriously
through the cloud and mist, predispose him to
identify them with supernatural influences, which
in his imagination take the form of monsters and
genii. With no better guide than the untutored
imagination of a mind which, in religious matters,
is a blank, who shall wonder that this is so? I
have myself often felt the influences of such sur-
roundings, when dark clouds deepened the forest
gloom, and the approaching storm set the trees

152 PIONEEEING IN THE EAE BAST.

whispering ; if at such a moment the shaggy red-
haired, and goblin form of the orang-outang (with
which some of the Dyaks identify their genii)
should appear amongst the branches, it requires
little imagination to people the mystic gloom with
unearthly beings.

The Dyaks have, as the above will have shown,
no religion which hinders European and Christian
influences, neither was the Mahommedan population
very zealous in their religious practices, and there
was nothing like fanaticism. In later years, as their
more prosperous condition enabled them to join in
pilgrimages to Mecca, they grew more zealous ; but,
as a rule, the Mohammedan religion sits lightly
upon the Malayan races in the Eastern Archipelago.
An amusing incident which I remember, will serve
as an illustration.

An American ship, coming from Manilla, stranded
not far from the coast of Borneo. Having bought
the wreck, I despatched a steamer to the spot, to
see what could be saved. The captain had taken
on board all that he could lay hands upon, in-
cluding poultry and other live stock, and was
regretfully looking at a fine porker, which was still
left solitary on deck, but which he could not ask
his Mahommedan crew to touch. Suddenly a bright
idea struck him ; “ My men,” he said, “you have
still to fetch me that sheep.” The sailors looked at
him in great surprise, as there was no sheep on
board, but the captain repeated h’s demand more

BORNEO.

153

emphatically, and pointing to the pig, said to the
now wondering crew, “ You fools [ did you never
see a Manilla sheep before?” The men now under-
stood him, and entering into the joke after some
little hesitation, laughingly collared the so-called
sheep, which my captain carried off in triumph.

That there were at some period considerable set-
tlements in many parts where the solitude of the
forest now reigns, I had often occasion to notice
when esploring the country. Often would the pick
or spade, used for the purposes of mineral explora-
tion, reveal thick layers of pottery and china of
antique, apparently Chinese make. On one occa-
sion we found a number of square paving tiles
some four inches thick, beautifully made of pebbles,
concrete, quartz, &c. ; they had been polished, were
clearly very old, and made by people of a higher
civilisation.

I have alluded to the caves. Nearly all the lime-
stone mountains in Upper Sarawak have them, and
some are miles in extent, and are sometimes difficult
to reach. On one of my earlier trips up country, I
was accompanied by two young missionaries ; we
had explored some caves, passing entirely through a
mountain, and the Dyaks then informed me that
there were other caves above. We determined to
explore these also, and climbed the steep sides of
the rock for this purpose; when at a height of
several hundred feet, we found that a cave could be
entered only by climbing over a rooky ledge which

154

PIONEEKING IN THii FAB FAST.

overhung the precipice below, so that our safety
would depend solely upon the slender shrubs by
which we were to raise ourselves over the protrud-
ing ledge. One of our companions, rather full-
blooded, was already much exhausted by the climb.
We advised him not to attempt to enter the cave, to
which he agreed. We got safely in, and were
resting at the entrance of the cavern, when, to our
dismay, we saw our friend’s face, pale and nervous,
appear over the ledge. We were not in a position
to render him assistance ; yet it seemed but too
probable that he would let go his hold. With
bated breath, we counted the seconds that enabled
us to grasp him and land him safe in the cavern.
Poor fellow ! a few years later he was murdered by
treacherous natives of the Dyak tribes.

Speaking of these two friends calls to my mind
an adventure of a similar nature, of which the
other was the hero ; it was on the mountain of
Gading, in the Lundu River, There is on this
mountain a succession of cascades, one a perpen-
dicular fall of probably not less than eighty feet.
My friend and I stood on the rock above, and were
about to descend, so as to see it from below, when
it occurred to my adventurous companion, that
instead of following the path down along the bank
of the stream, he would descend by a short cut,
through the fall itself. I advised him not to do so,
but he persisted, and, having cut a number of
rattans, tied them together, and securing one end to

BOKNiSO.

155

a tree, lie let himself down the foaming cataract.
I watched him with some uneasiness, and not with-
out reason, for, when half way down, he found that
his cord had come to an end. He was gesticulating,
but could not shout, the foaming water only now
and then revealing his head. I hurried to cut more
rattans and send them down to him, but he was
soon exhausted by the pressure and weight of the
water. He had to let go, and I saw him hurled
into the pool below. X rushed down, fearing the
worst, but luckily, the face of the rock was smooth,
and the pool below deep, so that he escaped with a
ducking.

I have mentioned the Chinese as the principal
gold and antimony workers in Sarawak, and as they
played so important a part in subsequent events
there, I must say a few words as to their position
in the country.

There is reason to believe that a large colonization
of Chinese took place in the north of Borneo, some
centuries ago, and that they even had rulers of their
own ; but, in any case, there is, as Mr. Spencer
St. John, in his “ Forests of the far Bast,” has
shown, ample evidence to prove that in compara-
tively recent times, there were large numbers
of Chinese in the north of Borneo, where they
engaged principally in pepper planting. But they
were latterly so oppressed by the native rulers, that
in 1846 they had almost entirely disappeared, or
been absorbed in the native population. Nor was

156 PIOHBEBiNG IN THB PAE BAST.

it in the north of Borneo merely that the Chinese
settled and brought their indomitable industry to
bear upon the resources of the country. In the
south-west of the island, especially at Sambas, they
formed large settlements, and here their industry
was not, as in the north of Borneo, confined to
pepper-planting and other agricultural pursuits, but
was directed mainly to gold mining.

Some years before the arrival of Rajah Brooke
in Sarawak these Chinese had, from their settle-
ment in Sambas, crossed into Sarawak, for the
purpose of working gold, but in the then unsettled
state of the country they found themselves exposed
to the rapacity and violence of the Malays, and after
having offered an unsuccessful resistance, were
driven back to Sambas. Here, at Mentrado and
Landafc, they had formed large settlements; as
many as 50,000 are supposed to have lived here,
and through intercourse with the aborigines a race
sprang up, which combined many of the good
qualities of the two races, and strengthened the
influence of the Chinese, which eventually led them
into difficulties with the Malay Sultan of Sambas.
At first the Chinese were able to hold their own, but
when the Dutch appeared on the scene in support of
the Sultan they were easily subdued.

When Rajah Brooke had established order and
security in Sarawak, the Chinese soon again found
their way into the country, and they formed con-
siderable settlements in Upper Sarawak, at Ban, and

BORNEO.

157

Sinjawan. Their principal occupation was gold-
washing, but numbers were employed in working
antimony ore, and some engaged in agricultural
gardening.

The gold and antimony is, in Sarawak, carried in
the same lodes and veins, but the district here re-
ferred to shows unmistakable evidence of having
at some period been submerged. All the limestone
hills had been acted upon by water, and the reefs
which passed through the district had been broken
up. Here and there both metals are found in situ;
but, as a rule, it is scattered over the entire
district — the antimony in boulders, the gold as
dust.

The former metal was a monopoly of the Borneo
Company, and was, where circumstances permitted,
worked by us under the supervision of European
overseers, or, when found on the surface, collected
by the natives. In later years I erected smelting
works, constructed roads and tramways through the
jungle, and, in fact, established a great industry;
but in those early days, I left it more with the
Chinese and natives to seek and work the ore,
where it was most conveniently obtained, assisting
them by making paths, supplying tools, gunpowder,
&c. &c.

The gold was obtained by laborious sluicing
operations, and only hard-working and thrifty
people, like the Chinese, could have made a living of
it. Their labours in the construction of reservoirs.

158

MONEEEING m THE PAB BAST.

sluices, and water-races, were very great, and the
extent of country turned over and worked by them
was prodigious ; but a Chinaman is willing to work
on condition that he is well fed ; he wants his four
or five meals a-day, consisting mainly of rice,
vegetables, and pork. He must have his tea,
tobacco, opium, and samshu, a spirit distilled from
rice, and, when he has ready money, he must
gamble. He is, therefore, an excellent subject to
tax, and from the opium, arrack, and gambling
farms, the Sarawak treasury was largely replenished.
The Dyaks and Malays are but poor subjects to
tax, they work little and require little.

But poor, according to European ideas, as were
the resources out of which the Chinese eked a living
by their gold- washing, they were perfectly content ;
they lived, indeed, from hand to mouth, as miners
often do, and it was rarely the case that the result
of their periodical realization of their sluicing
operations sufficed to pay their debts, but they
always drew fresh drafts upon future expectations.
Their creditors, amongst whom I was usually a
principal one, had to take them upon trust, and
they rarely belied their confidence when they had
the means.

But upon the whole, the Chinese had reason to
be satisfied with their lot; they lived under a
Government which, so long as they consumed, and
paid taxes upon their consumption, left them very
much to themselves ; indeed, they were not suffi-

BOHJiEO.

]59

ciently governed and looked after, Tke organisation
which they obtain through their secret societies,
which is almost Republican in its form, gives them
a taste for self-government. This was particularly
the case with isolated Chinese communities in
Borneo. Had the Chinese in Sarawak, which by
this time (1856) numbered over 4,000, felt the
hand of a strong G-overnment upon them, they
would not have risen in rebellion, but remained a
happy and contented community, which, ere now,
would have transformed much of the Sarawak
jungle by the power of their marvellous industry.

But the self-government which they were prac-
tically enjoying, and their constantly increasing
numbers, made them conceited and impatient of any
restraint whatever. Above all, they felt the heavy
tax upon opium. They smuggled, and, when fined,
defied the Government, and began to plot its
overthrow.

But before telling the story of the Chinese insur-
rection, it may be well, in a few words, to review
the condition of the English community in Sarawak
at this time.

Sir James Brooke had once more returned to his
dominions from a visit to England in 1853. He
was troubled by the Commission which had been
appointed by the British G-overnment, to inquire
into the charges brought against him by Mr. Hume
and others, and which was shortly to sit in Singa-
pore. But a greater trouble was in store for him :

160

PIONBBEING IN THE EAR EAST.

immediately on his arrival in Borneo, he was
attacked by small -pox; but he recovered from the
disease, and came out victorious from the inquiry,
and he was now able to devote himself to the
administration of the country. He visited his
Suzerain, the Sultan of Brunei, and obtained from
that effete prince the concession of an additional
large territory. Upon his return from this voyage,
he retired to a secluded bungalow, which had been
built for him as a sanitarium, by Captain Brooke,
on the top of a hill some 1,200 feet high, and here he
gradually recovered some of his scattered strength,
and from that time up till 1856 he quietly devoted
himself to promote the happiness of his people.

One matter, which was much upon his mind, was
his claim to have his government and his own
position recognized by the British Government.
There were difficulties in recognizing a British subject
as an independent prince, and in allowing his govern-
ment jurisdiction over British subjects ; but this
matter was now settled to his satisfaction.

Other events happened at this time, which tended
to soothe the Eajah’s harassed mind ; I allude to
the appointment of a bishop, and the formation of
the Borneo Company.

The Rev. Mr. Macdougall, the head of the Borneo
Mission was in 1855 named Bishop of Labuan, and
accepted dso from the Sarawak Government letters
patent as the Bishop of Sarawak. This recognition
on the part of the religious world, of the importance

BOBNBO.

161

of the field wbicli— through his labours — had been
opened out for the propagation of the Christian
faith, must have been gratifying to the Rajah,
whose heart was ever pitying the miserable con-
dition of his poor, ignorant Dyaks, who, having no
religious belief of any kind, were ready to be con-
verted either by Christian or Mahometan ; that they
should not become converts to the latter faith was
also, for political reasons, much to be desired.

While the spiritual wants of the people were thus
to be provided for, the material development of the
country was also to be given a new stimulus. The
business which I had been sent to Borneo to open
up had, from very small beginnings, grown so far
that those interested in the enterprise considered
that the time had come for enlarging the operations,
and thereby assisting Sir James Brooke’s efforts for
the development of the resources of the country. To
this end a company was formed, called the Borneo
Company, which took over the business which I had
hitherto conducted, and of which I had become the
manager. This company was formed under the then
new Limited Liability Act, and comprised commer-
cial and non-commercial men, amongst them many
of the Rajah’s friends. The objects were far-
reaching, embracing trade, mining, and agriculture ;
and under favourable circumstances, and with
patience, the object in view might probably have
been fully obtained. Patience was an essential con-
dition here, as it was in the nature of things that tho

162

PIONEEEING IN THE PAE EAST.

development of the country must be gradual ; it
was mostly covered Tvitb dense jungle, unsurveyed,
and roadless. Such labour as was suitable for
the purposes of the company, had mostly to be
imported; food, to some extent, also. In short,
everything had to be begun de novo, and experience
to be bought. These are not exactly conditions
favourable for the operations of a company, which,
however philanthropic it may think itself, never
loses sight of dividends, and properly so. Doubt-
less, in this case, both motives were combined, pro-
ducing, perhaps, undue eagerness, and a desire to
push on faster than the circumstances of the country
permitted. It was pleasant enough to see steamers
upon our jungle-surrounded rivers, and energetic
Englishmen, fresh from home, full of eagerness for
work, to enliven our small circle; but it all came
upon us a little too fast. Still, diflSculties would
have been overcome, and mistakes corrected, but
for the occurrence of the great disaster which, at
the outset, blighted the Company’s prospects and
retarded its progress for years; I refer to the
Chinese insurrection.

This disaster came upon us like a thief in the
night, and at the time when the country was to
take a new start, and when the career of many of
us, who had been plodding through weary years of
dull existence, was to take a new and brighter
form. The Rajah had overcome many troubles, and
was recovering his bodily strength; his faithful

BOBNEO.

163

friend and follower, Arthur Crookshank, had lately
returned from home with a young and beautiful
wife. With them had returned our old friends, the
Rev. Mr. MacDougall (now a bishop), and Mrs. Mac-
Dougall. The presence of the ladies shed brightness
over the place, and more were to come; Captain
Brooke and our genial friend Charles Grrant, were
on their way, both newly married men. To myself,
new prospects had suddenly been opened; the tender
plant which I had been nursing for so many years
was now under a forcing system, to take more rapid
growth. Great resources were placed at my dis-
posal, and my bungalows were filled with young
Englishmen, who were to assist me in the work,
but to whom the country was as yet strange. On
the evening of the 18th of February, 1857 the
various bungalows which crowned the hills sur-
rounding the village of Sarawak, contained parties
of joyous and hopeful men and women, but midnight
had barely passed before fire and bloodshed covered
thescene.

I have thought it better, instead of giving my
own account of the Chinese Insurrection, to insert

the diary of my friend , who was in its midst,

and who made notes of the incidents as they
occurred. His account is so vivid, and, as I can
attest, so truthful, that I feel no apology is needed
for presenting it to the reader.

i(>4 PIONBIEING Ilf THE FAE EAST.

A JOUEFAL

KEPT IN SAEAWAK PEOM FEBEHAET 19tH TO MABOU

28th, 1857.

“ The Bishop says, if you please will you get up
and bring your gun.” These words, spoken by a
young lady with a weak voice, brought me hastily
out of bed at half-past 1 o’clock on Thursday
morning, the 19th of February 1857.

It was a wonder I had not awoke sooner, for guns
were firing in the bazaar (the main street of the
town) followed by shouting and shrieking. Every-
one downstairs was in a great state of excitement,
the Bishop and the men-servants loading.

“The Chinese are down from Bau,” said the
Bishop, “ and are attacking the town.”

You will understand things better if I stop and
tell you who the people from Bau are. Bau is the
name of a town situated up the country not far
from the banks of the Sarawak river, and by water
is about fifteen miles from us. It is here that gold
is found, and many years ago, long before the
Eajah came to the country, the Chinese had formed
a settlement at Bau, and supported themselves
principally by gold- washing. From time to time
their numbers were augmented by bodies of Chinese
from Sambas (the Dutch territory), a large well-
built town sprung up, and the trade with Sarawak
became important. All this time the Chinese were
governing themselves, electing their own magis-

BOENEO.

165

trates, inflicting the punishment of death, and, in a
word, were independent of the Rajah’s government.
Kungsi, or companies, like that at Bau, are esta-
blished mainly for trading purposes, differing in
this respect from Hoeys, which are political so-
cieties. There is a secret constitution in both,
known only to members of each kungsi. This,
whatever it may be, answers the purpose of divinity
and oracle — ^it is the rallying point ; when lost or
destroyed, the kungsi is broken up.

It was the purchase of opium that brought the
kungsi at Bau into immediate communication with
the authorities at Sarawak. Our Government keeps
the opium trade entirely in its own hands, and
makes thereupon the respectable profit of about
100 per cent. At one time the consumption at Bau
amounted to sixty balls of opium per month, but of
late, although the population had increased, the
demand for opium had fallen to thirty balls.
Smuggling had become the order of the day, and,
to save itself the trouble of detecting the culprits,
the Government ordered that the kungsi should pay
as heretofore for sixty balls, whether they took
them or not. Who could object to such an exer-
cise of authority on the part of a “ paternal
government” ? Apparently the kungsi did-

To return — ^by this time the Rajah’s house was
in flames, and the firing and shouting in the bazaar
was increasing. Peter’s house and Crookshank’s
were fired almost simultaneously. The houses

166

PIONBBBING m THE FAB BAST.

burned like paper. Though a very dark night the
light from the fires enabled us to make out crowds
of Ohinese round the houses, some with guns, but
more with a weapon formed of an iron blade, some-
thing like a broadsword, either for cutting or
thrusting, attached to a pole about four feet long,
a very useful implement to an aggressor.

Well, we made up our minds that our house was
to come next. The two Channons, men in the
Eajah’s service, had come up to the Mission-house,
so that by this time we were a party of some six
men, with eight or nine women or children. All
the men had guns, and the orders were to en-
deavour to keep the Ohinese back till the ladies
could be got into the jungle. That all could escape,
no one had the least idea; the only thing to be
done was to make the best defence possible ;
beside, the prospect of dying fighting was less
unsatisfactory than that of being murdered in cold
blood. All gathered in the dining-room, the Bishop
said a short prayer and gave us a blessing, as we
thought, for the last time. Then the women and
children were put behind, and the men were ranged
in front, ready to fire when the assailants appeared.
News was soon brought that the old fort was taken.
There was now no doubt that, unless the Malays
made an attack on the Chinamen, the second fort
must go too, for in this there lived only four men —
Crymble and three Malays. It very soon followed
the fate of the othor, and in another half-hour the

BOENBO.

167

Bau kungsi were masters of Sarawak, its forts
and artillery ; the firing became reduced to a single
gun now and then from the new possessors of the
forts.

20th. — With daylight this morning there came a
party of some seven Chinese to the Mission-house,
saying that their quarrel was with the Grovernment
only, and not with the English generally. They
requested the Bishop to go with them to the hos-
pital to doctor the men wounded in last night’s
fight. Thirteen or fourteen fellows lay badly hit.
And now all kinds of stories began to reach us;
the Eajah, Oi’ookshank, Helms, and several others
were killed, while of many no intelligence could be
gained. About 8 o’clock a man came, saying that
Mrs. Orookshank was lying among the grass near
her house. The hatred which the Chinese had for
Crookshank was supreme, and the Bishop felt that
any indiscreet act might induce them to make an
end of everybody. He went down, therefore, to the
fort, where the leaders were by this time holding
their court, and requested permission to remove
Mrs. Crookshank. “No,” said the brutes, “ she is
as bad as her husband and shall die too.” But the
Bishop, who is not a man to be beaten, returned at
last with the gracious permission of the kungsi. A
party of Malays made a litter, and carried Mrs.
Crookshank to the house; she was ghastly pale,
with wounds on her head, and feet and hands, but
her pluck was indomitable, as she was carried up-

168

PIONBBBING IN THE PAE EAST.

stairs, her dress crimsoned with her own blood.
She had a bad spear-wound, but the Bishop was
happily soon able to relieve us with the news that
he had good hopes o£ her recovery. Spite of all
her sufferings, she was perfectly calm and collected,
and gave the story of the night from beginning to
end. Neither she nor her husband woke till the
Chinese were attacking the house. When roused
they managed to leave together on the side oppo-
site the kitchen (kitchens are distinct buildings
from the house). Mrs. Crookshank being in white,
her husband put her before him, hoping that his
darker dress might conceal her. A man, however,
saw them, and by running round the other side of
the kitchen overtook them, and so came upon Mrs.
Crookshank first. He ran his spear into her side,
and she fell, as if dead. Crookshank, who had a
short spear, fixed it in the Chinaman, but the fellow,
though badly wounded, managed with a wrench to
get the spear out, and immediately closed with
Crookshank. They fought for some minutes, till
they were both exhausted, when Crookshank, who
had received a wound in his shoulder, and thought
his wife dead, got away through the jungle and
reached the house of the Datu Bandar (the Malay
chief). Mrs. Crookshank, after a little while,
managed to crawl away and laid down in some grass.
Here she remained till about 6 o’clock, when some
Chinamen came up, less like fiends than their com-
panions, and put a covering over her to shield her

BORNEO.

169

from the sun. While they stood round, a man came
wanting to kill her, but they would not let him, and
she remained undisturbed till brought to the Mis-
sion-house, All her rings, in which she was in the
habit of sleeping, were taken from her hands, with
the exception of her wedding-ring, which could not
be moyed.

When 9 o’clock came, I became anxious for news
of Helms, and resolved to set out in search of him.
The bazaar was full of the Kungsi’s men, who had
made the new fort their head-quarters, and were
keeping regular guard through the street with the
late Government’s rifles on their shoulders. They
were strong-built fellows for the most part ; they
looked unpleasantly hard at me as I passed, and
once or twice seemed about to stop my passage ;
but by keeping up a look of assurance as though I
had known the rascals from their babyhood, I went
through the town without hindrance to our factory.

Presently, to my great satisfaction, I met Helms,
and learned from him his adventures. His house
stands on a high hill overlooking the town. Some
of the Government’s and Company’s employes had
been dining with him ; amongst them Orymble,
Mcholetts, and Wellington, who left his house
at 11. Three hours later two of these three were
murdered. On coming into the balcony, when
roused by the firing. Helms saw a large party
coming up to his house. Being alone, he thought
discretion the better part of valour, and made the

170 PIONEEEING IN THE FAB BAST.

best of bis way past the Company’s bouse to a
Malay village in tbe valley on tbe other side. Here be
procured a boat, and crossing tbe river to tbe bouse
of one of tbe bi’avest of tbe Malays, be endeavoured
to plan a defence. But the Malays could do
nothing ; there was no one to lead them, no one to
keep them together ; neither tbe Bajab, nor a single
one of bis officers was to be beard of. In the
morning Helms crossed over again in a small boat
to tbe town. Just as be was coming under tbe
bank by our factory, a party of Chinese fired into
tbe boat and bit a Malay./ Helms’s Chinese boy
called out to them that it was be who was in tbe
boat, upon which they put up their guns and made
signs to Helms to come on shore. He did so, and
marched with them to tbe Court-house.

In a bouse near tbe fort lay Beattie, an engineer
from our steamer, who some time previously bad
accidentally crushed bis foot, and this poor fellow
had lain helplessly the whole night through, expect-
ing every minute to be bis last ; and when Helms
drew tbe curtains of bis bed, be begged for mercy,
and it took some time before be could realize that
it was a friend who bent over him. The Chinese
readily complied with tbe request to get him carried
to Helms’s bouse.

We bad by this time heard of the safety of tbe
Bajab and all of his party, with the exception of
Hicboletts, who, with Steel, the Governor of
Kanowit, was sleeping in a small bungalow next tbe

BOBNBO.

171

Bajah’s. He rushed out by the front door, where
ail the Chinese were assembled, and was cut down
in a moment. The Bajah and his servant escaped
through the bathing-room door on the side of the
house, swam the creek, in which the Chinese boat
was lying, and then crossed the river to the Datu’s,
where he was met by Crookshank and Crymble.

In the middle of the day the great conference came
off in the Court-house of the English. There attended
the Bishop, Buppell, Helms, and myself. The
Datu, and one or two other head men, represented
the Malays. The Kungsi leader sat on his haunches
in the Bajah’s chair, the Malays on the one side
of the table, we opposite. The whole of the Court
was filled with scowling Chinese faces, who
thoroughly enjoyed their short triumph. The
Kungsi then stated their grievances, said that they
did not wish to interfere with the Europeans in
Sarawak, claimed immunity from taxes, &c., and
concluded by electing Helms Bajah. He was the
popular man, and stood a fair chance of being made
a monarch; but as he continued respectfully to
decline the honour, it was at last arranged that the
Bishop, Helms, and Buppell should form a
triumvirate ; that the Chinese should go up the
river the same day, carrying all their plunder, and
that the Malays should not attack them, and that
no steamer or boats should be sent up the river in
pursuit. Is it wonderful that these terms were
agreed to? What else was to be done? The life

172

PIONBEBINQ IN THE FAE BAST.

of erery English person in Sarawak was hanging by
a thread, and we knew too well the result of resist-
ance ; besides, many in the Court-house were
wanting harder terms, and it was thought the
sooner over the better. And so all was yielded.
Copies of the contract were drawn up in English,
Chinese, and Malay ; these were all signed at once —
Chinese fashion. Two fowls are brought in, their
heads cut off, and as they flutter about the table,
their blood is sprinkled over the documents. After
this came tea and cigars, and we had to sit another
half hour smoking and drinking ; and when at last
we left, we were obliged to shake hands with the
brutes whom, with the greatest pleasure, we could
have shot dead upon the spot. It was after this
that the Chinese, to make sure of their bargain,
first proposed that Helms should accompany them
up the river. He got off, but they afterwards sent
him an imperious demand to attend them.

The whole of the day the Chinese kept the town,
and the white flag of the Celestial Empire waved from
the fort. My room at the Mission-house was now
occupied by the Channons. I went up to Helms ;
there I found Manly with his wife and child, and
poor Mrs. Middleton. A Chinaman came to Helms,
and in a mysterious manner informed him that
Mrs. Middleton was in the jungle. Helms at once
followed his informant, and brought the poor lady
to his house, passing, in so doing, the still smoulder-
ing ruins of her home, where four dogs were

BOENEO.

173

tearing at something, he did not at that time even
guess what. Hers was a pitiable tale. The mob,
after leaving Helms, had run round the hill and
attacked her husband’s house. He thought it was
merely an attack upon himself, as, in consequence
of his being the head of the police, he was brought
frequently into collision with Chinese smugglers.
Supposing that if he could not be found no further
violence would be done, he bolted. The Chinese
soon made their way into the house. Wellington,
dear brave fellow, stood before Mrs. Middleton’s
door, and fired on them, and killed one man with
the butt end of his gun, but of course, had no chance
against so many, and was quick y killed. The two
little boys were next murdered, and their heads
kicked about the room. Mrs. Middleton, after
this, crept down to the bath-room, and hid herself
in a water-jar; but the timbers over her began to
crack, and she was forced to leave. Opening the
door, she saw there were no men about, and at once
ran into the jungle, where she concealed herself for
some time in a pool of water, sitting in it up to
her chin, till she saw a Chinaman coming towards
her, with a sword in his hand. He called to her
that he was a friend of Peter’s, and would procure
assistance.

The ladies slept at Helms’s to-night, and Manly
and myself kept watch in the verandah.

21st. From the hill this morning we could see
the Kungsi on the move, and effecting a clearance

174 PIONEEEIKG m THE PAR EAST.

of the fort and post office. Cannon, rifles, plate
and money were being carried down into the boats.
It was very agreeable, even under these circum-
stances, to see them going, for we were fearing
every minute some ill-advised attack on the part
of Malays, which must have ended in disaster.
Our only chance was to bide our time. About
11 o’clock, the Kungsi sent up a message to
Helms saying they would like to speak to him before
they left. “ They would like to speak to him,
would they ? Oh, certainly ; he would be with
them directly.” And with this the messengers went
back.

For another hour the Chinese loitered about, but
after a time the boats began to push off. What
a relief; they are away at last. But no; they had
gone but a few yards when the boats all pulled
back again, and, with a great shout, men sprang on
shore, and rushed through the bazaar. What was to
come now? Manly went off to the sago factory in
case concealment of our charges might be necessary,
and I went down to the bazaar. The Chinese, it
seems, were fearing an attack from the Malays on
the river, but after a little reassurance they started a
second time. The Bishop soon met me; he was
afraid of something rash being done by the Malays,
and wanted Helms to go up to the Datu’s, and
prevent an attack on the Chinese, if such were
meditated. Where was Helms ? T had not seen
him since he left to go to the Kungsi, and on

BORNEO.

175

making inquires, no one kad any knowledge of kim.
Failing in finding kim, I went on to tke Datu’s
kouse, gave kim tke Biskop’s warning against
taking any furtker steps witkout a properly sufficient
force. As boat after boat of the Chinese passed up
with their plunder, tke Datu’s eyes flashed with
rage, and it was, I believe, only tke quieting influ-
ence of tke Biskop’s message that prevented him and
kis followers making an attack.

When tke boats were out of sight, we went up
together to tke Mission-house, where tke meeting
of the Datu and the Bishop was really affecting.
A few kotirs after this the Malays had got boats
ready, and were in pursuit of tke Chinese before
any of us knew of it.

A man came to me this afternoon saying there
was a white man’s head in tke fort ; it proved to be
Wellington’s. There were many ghastly cuts upon
it, but the features were as tranquil as if tke boy
were sleeping. A bullet had entered kis cheek, and
passing through tke brain, must have caused instant
death, so that the poor fellow could have had no
suffering. He fell nobly, for he might easily have
saved himself had he chosen to do so. I took his
head to the Mission-house, and the Bishop arranged
to bury it the next day. y

In the afternoon the Bishop sent down Mrs.
MacDougal, Miss Wooley, and the children, to the
mouth of the river, intending them to leave for
Singapore in the Good Luck a small schooner

176 PIONBEEING IN THE PAE EAST.

tliat was lying at the mouth. Euppell had already
gone down, without saying a word to anybody.

In the evening came a great many stories about
Helms, who was still missing. Some said the
Chinese had taken him up with them, while one man
had “ seen ” his dead body.

Now that the Kungsi had left the town, the
tradesmen became greatly alarmed at the prospect
of being attacked by the Malays, who were hardly
in the humour to distinguish one Chinese tail from
another. There was the greatest possible difficulty
in preserving anything like confidence, and but for
the Bishop there would have been chaos. He was
commander-in-chief, and organised everything, and
kept us up to our work, as the whole night through
we had to walk about the town fully armed.

A letter had come from the Eajah saying he
would be up to-morrow with “plenty of men,” and
the prospect of this put us in good spirits.
Occasionally during the night, large boats passed
up, and we began to think the Kungsi would get a
good thrashing on their own ground.

News reached me this morning, that Helms had
positively been seen on board the Good Luck.
I confess to feeling not a little anxiety at finding
myself the Company’s sole representative in Sarawak.
Our money had been all taken from the fort ; we
had a little in the safe at the office, but the keys
thereof were with Helms. Presently the coolies
commenced asking for money and opium, and got so

BORNEO.

177

clamorous that I began to fear row number two. In
this emergency, I had to apply to the Oommander-
in-chief, at whose request the most respectable
Chinese traders offered to make me advances.
While they were gone home for the money. Helms,
to my no small delight, returned. His absence was
explained in this way ; when the Chinese had sent
up for him, he knew it was with the intention of
taking him with them as a hostage, and accordingly,
sending the man to say he was coming, he bolted
at once in the opposite direction, to the Malay
Kampong, from whence he could watch the Chinese
in the act of embarking, and only waiting for him.
His intention, when leaving the house, was to return
as soon as the Chinese boats had left ; but while
waiting here, a boat from Samarahan brought him
this note from the Kajah : — ■

“The schooner (rood Luck down the river;
hasten on board, and write to Harvey to send us
arms and ammunition. I will be with you to-
morrow ; meanwhile, hold the fort.”

This was telling the Israelites to make bricks
without straw. However, Helms saw the importance
of this communication, and that no time was to be
lost. He went down to the river and boarded the
schooner, fulfilling his orders, when he found that
amongst the crowd of intending passengers were
Mrs. MacDougall, with family, and other ladies. He
urged them to spare themselves the misery of a
voyage in the densely packed schooner, and having

178 HOITBEEINQ IN THE EAB BAST.

broTiglit tiiem on store and seen ttem as comfortably
settled as could be in a Malay house, he, after
getting his first few hours’ sleep for two days,
returned to Kuching; but what was intended to
be half an hour had thus become many hours’
absence.

In the evening we heard that the Rajah was
ready to come up. The Bishop took a boat to
meet and hasten him, for it was becoming more
and more evident that his absence was gravely
aggravating the situation. At 8 o’clock in the
evening an alarm was spread that the Chinese were
on their way down again, and my orders were to
take Mrs. Manly and Middleton down the river
with the view of concealing them in a Malay house.
When we reached the village we found it deserted,
and it was impossible to leave them.

Some way further down the river, we came to a
large prauh (native ship) belonging to a friendly
Malay who was on board, with his wife and chil-
dren, ready to drop down to sea if necessary. He
willingly received the ladies. Then I pulled fur-
ther down to carry the news to the Rajah. Very
soon I met the Bishop returning in a large war-
prahu. He had found the Rajah utterly depressed
and hopeless, and with only one boat, instead of
“plenty of men.” This was disheartening, but
nothing checked the Bishop. He was not in the
sweetest of tempers, it must be owned. “ Come on
board,” he called to me ; “ if the Rajah deserts his

BOBNBO. 179

country, I must look after my diocese ! ” and so tke
twelve paddles struck the water, and we flew up to
the town. All that night we were sent from house
to house with a party of Malays, searching for
arms, of which we collected a large quantity ; and
all the night long the Bishop was about like the
rest of us, keeping everyone together, encouraging
everyone, and directing everything. Like us all, he
was armed to the teeth, with sword, double-barrel,
and revolver. He recalled the olden times, when
lord-bishops could strike a blow, if need were, in a
good cause.

22nd. — Early this morning we received positive
intelligence that a fresh attack was about to be
made on the place. Soon after this, the Rajah’s
solitary boat was seen pulling up, and I went down
to the Court-house, where it was presumed he
would land. As the boat pulled to the bank, almost
simultaneously some of the Kungsi men came down
the road and opened fire. The result was what was
to be expected, where you have, as was our case, a
few muskets to oppose a large body of men with
plenty of guns, rifles, and ammunition. How many
minutes the affair lasted I don’t know, but very
few. The Malays gave way, and everyone looked
after himself.

In the morning Helms had collected our sago-
coolies and some Malays at our warehouse, to have
them ready to act as the emergency might suggest.
We had expected a stout fight on the part of the

180 PIONEERING IN THE PAR BAST.

Malays, but as they broke immediately, and tbe Rajah
turned his war-boat once more down the river, it was
clear that all was up for the time. Looking up to
his house on the hill, Helms saw it surrounded by
Chinese; he then removed the books, papers, and
money from the office, and joined in the grand
stampede down the river.

The Bishop got on board the Rajah’s boat. I
came up to Helms’s house to endeavour to move
Beattie, the stoker belonging to the steamer, who
had met with a very severe accident, and was lying
on the sofa unable to move. He was gone — how,
was the puzzle. As I walked down the bank to-
ward the factory thirteen or fourteen armed China-
men came up to the house. This time I gave it all
up. I thought of you all at home, and thanked
Heaven that I need not fall alive into their hands.
Just as the fellows were coming down the hill
towards me, I was equally surprised and delighted
at hearing the voice of my Malay servant calling to
me to make haste. He was in a little boat under
the bank, along which I made a precipitate and un-
dignified retreat, splashing through the mud up to
my knees, and reaching the boat minus my shoes
and hat. On reaching the boat I found cause
to thank my servant ; not only had he got the boat
ready, but had put in my rug, plaid, and knapsack.
A Dyak boat soon overtook us, into which I put
my things as we went on, taking the little boat in
tow. By this time the flight had become general —

BOENEO.

181

boats by tbe dozen were pulling down tbe river — ■
everyone was bolting; once again tbe white flag
waved over Sarawak, and soon we saw volumes of
smoke rising over tbe town. Tbe tide being against
us, we made but little way. When we (Helms and
myself — Helms bad joined me on tbe way) came to
tbe Quop (a junction of tbe river) three miles below
tbe town, we found a large three-masted prabu
ready for sea. Her we engaged, thinking to take
up all tbe Europeans at the mouth. We came up
to tbe ladies’ party at a little village close to tbe
entrance of tbe river, and greatly relieved them
with tbe news of their respective husbands. Pre-
sently tbe Kajah came, and started a panic by
announcing that tbe Chinese were in full pursuit.
Double quick march was tbe order. Tbe Bishop,
with a large party, started for Linga (on a river to
tbe north, and occupied by a friendly and powerful
tribe of Dyaks). The Rajah left in bis war-boat
for Samarahan (a nearer river in tbe same direc-
tion) with this parting order to Helms and myself :
“Offer the country^ on any terms, to the Dutch" i
while, funnily enough, the two spinsters were bil-
letted on Helms and me, the two bachelors of tbe
community.

By tbe time all were on board, it was so dark
that our men were afraid to cross tbe bar, and we
found ourselves compelled to anchor all night, still
within reach of tbe Chinamen.

Behold us then. The other two boats are out to

182 tlONBEElNG m THE FAB BAST.

sea; we are lying within a mile of the bar. The
night is pitch dark and the rain coming down as it
only does in the tropics. Helms and I are walking
the deck, eagerly peering through the darkness, and
expecting that it might go hard with us yet. The
ladies are below with the Malay women, enjoying
the luxury of rice and salt-fish ; one of them with
the reasonableness peculiar to her sex, begs that if
if the Chinese do come, we will let her know a
quarter of an hour beforehand, i,

23rd.— Ho signs of the enemy this morning. We
began to think they were too much occupied in
looting Sarawak to indulge a thought of pursuit.
Our plan was now altered, as our men would not
go to Sambas, in consequence of some of them
being in disgrace with the Dutch. Serhassan was
now to be our port — an island, two days off the main-
land, and governed by a native rajah. We hoped by
his assistance to get on to Singapore; but now
water and ballast had to be got in, so that the
morning was well on before we were fairly under
weigh. The men were hoisting all sail, when a
shout of “ Kapalapi ! Eapalapi ! ” (the steamer ! the
steamer !) brought us on deck like a shot. Out at
sea, just coming round the point of the coast, we
could make out the smoke. Never was a more
welcome sight vouchsafed to anyone; the effect on
us was quite beyond my power to describe — the
Malays danced for joy, my handkerchief {Anglichi
hat) went spinning in the air with a hearty hurrah

" -

BOENEO.

183

as the steamer came on. At first we tools: her for
a Dutchman, and it looked as if we should be
obliged to “offer the country” as we had been
bidden to do, but at last made out her flag, and
knew that she was our own. Helms and I pulled
off to meet her, in a small boat. It was some time
before Captain Skinner recognised us, for we were
in Malay dress and bronzed with exposure. Once
on board we startled all with our intelligence.
Helms, who was now Eajah nolens volens, decided on
going up to the town at once, and the ladies were
brought on board. How came an exciting scene—
the guns were got out, the rifles, cutlasses, &c. all
piled, and the decks cleared ; but while this was
being done we saw a large boat making for the
river, which turned out to carry the Eajah, who had
seen the smoke of the steamer far out at sea. The
gloom and depression had passed away from the
Eajah now, and everyone was in tearing spirits.
The moment we opened the town, we were exposed
to the fort, and the guns from the old fort opened
on us with grape of original composition — balls,
nails, scraps of rusty iron, came whizzing round,
many of which were picked up afterwards as sou-
venirs ; two of the boats were struck, and the keel
of the one above me was splintered in all directions.
The next instant our long eighteen-pounder forward
spoke his mind. Firing almost simultaneously with
another gun of same calibre the roar was a good
one, and then came the sharper notes of the swivels

184! pioNbeeing in the far east.

and rifles. The shot from the gun forward, which
was manned by the mate, went slap into the fort and
created a scare. Out scoured the Chinese like wild
hares in March, some dashing up the road leading to
the Channons, while many ran through the bazaar,
affording practice for the riflemen on board. The
new fort was quickly cleared, and two or three
more rounds completed the action. We steamed
slowly up the river, on the sides of which the Malay
kampong was still burning, and then coming back
again anchored off the bazaar. And thus the
Company’s steamer retook the town of Sarawak.

In the evening some went on shore, unshipped
the guns, and hauled down the Chinese flag. I
curled myself up on the cabin table, and enjoyed a
glorious six hours of unconsciousness.

24th. — This morning we mustered a strong party
and went on shore to effect a search. We were
ordered to go through aU suspected houses, and
captured some twelve men. The fury of the Malays
knew no bounds with these fellows ; they seized
them by the tail, and dragged them along to the
Court-house ; here they kept them, under a strong
escort, till the Eajah arrived, standing over them
with a drawn sword, and measuring the distance
from their necks. Only one of the men was con-
demned ; of the rest, some were remanded, others
liberated. It was with difficulty the Malays could
be prevented taking the Chinaman’s head off in the
court. He was dragged away to the green close

BOENIO.

185

by, and then, almost as be was being beheaded,
five or six spears were sticking in his body.

All this time we had heard nothing of Russell
and his party, who were at Bidi (our antimony
mines), a place within a few miles of Bau. When
the Kungsi were in Sarawak they gave us a
solemn promise that they would interfere with no
one at the mines, but after the second attack we
entertained great fears for the safety of our people.
Large rewards had been offered for their recovery,
but hitherto nothing had been heard of them.
Lodgings on the steamer increased in demand ;
men slept three abreast on the deck, four beds were
“ made up ” in the cabin, one of which— the table
— I continued to occupy.

26th. — Went up to the Bishop’s house. The
confusion was complete. Into whatever I’oom you
went, the scene was the same — furniture smashed,
boxes and drawers broken open; all that could be
made use of gone, and the rest of the things—
books, clothes, glass, and papers playing at hide-and-
seek all over the floor. The room I had occupied
was like the rest. I had deferred unpacking my
books and clothes tiU the Company’s house was
ready, so that the boxes were standing, for the
most part, as they had come from England, but
without exception they yf ere standing empty. The
look of the book-box had been a very strong one,
and on this account, I suppose, the box had been
supposed to contain something valuable. The

186 PIONEEEINQ IN THE EAB EAST.

result apparently "was unsatisfactory, for tlie books
were knocked about kere there and everywhere.
I found a volume of Bacon’s “Essays” half-way
down the hill, kicked there apparently, with a
sword-cut well into it.

Though the steamer held Sarawak, the prospect
of reducing the Chinese up the country appeared
anything but immediate. At one time a report
came that Bau was being fortified, at another that
the Kungsi would hazard another attack. One thing
was evident, that the steamer could not leave till
order had been re-established. Helms was there-
fore sent by the Rajah to Sambas, to give informa-
tion of the affair to the Dutch authorities. He
started this evening as his own pilot with five or
six men.

29th to March 6th. — Dyak and Malay boats
coming in daily; the Dyaks mostly Sakarran with
a few Seribas. These are the head-hunters and
pirates against whom the expeditions have been
frequent. They are quiet now, and, with the ex-
ception of the Seribas, who live further up the
river, submit to the Rajah’s authority. They are
fine, strong fellows, forming a great contrast in this
respect to the hill Dyaks. The Dyak bankongs
(war-boats) are pulled by from twenty to thirty
men, and in consequence go along at a great speed.
The boats were decorated as customary on a war
expedition, and the men wore their armlets and
huge ear-rings. These redoubtable warriors were

BOENEO.

187

thirsting for beads ; but as it was probable that if
they went up-country by themselves, they would
not nicely distinguish between the hill Dyaks and
Chinese, they were induced to remain ac Sara-
wak till the entire fleet could arrive. They crowded
the steamer from morning to night, examining
everything, and expressing great astonishment.
The eccentric spinster, with whom Helms and I
were nearly running away, afforded us unceasing
amusement by her unequivocal expressions of
admiration of these lightly-clothed warriors.

7th. — -Russell and his boys came down to-day. I
had heard from him two days before, and had de-
spatched the Sarawak news to him. The escape of
his party had been a narrow one. The Chinese
endeavoured to persuade him to go to Bau, but in
vain; and he moved from one Dyak village to
another, for a fortnight.

9th.-— This evening, just as we were going to
dinner, an alarm was raised that the Chinese were
coming down. The Dyaks in the bazaar flew to
the attack, and on board everyone was under arms ;
but the alarm proved a false one. About 8 p.m. we
were again put on the qui mm by a distant shout,
which, as it drew nearer, was recognised as a “ head
sound ” ; the Dyak boats were returning from a
successful expedition against the Chinese up the
river. They began to pass the steamer, but in too
great haste to carry the news of their success
home, to stop. “ Good news I we have heads I ”

188 PIONEBEING IN THE PAE EAST.

was tbe burden of tbeir answers. At length a
Malay boat pulled up, and we received a confused
account of the victory ; sufficient, however, to make
us feel that the scale was turning.

10th. — The Datu Bandar came on board this
morning, and gave us a full report of a fight be-
tween the Malays and Chinese. He himself, with the
Datu Tumagong and Abang Boyang had gone up
in three large Malay war-boats with several Dyak
prahus. On reaching a place called Ledah Tanah,
they found a body of Chinese stockaded. These
were not expecting an attack, and dinner was in
process of cooking. When surprised, they waited
till the Malays were near shore, and then gave
them a volley, but only one man was struck. The
next instant the boats were in shore, and the Malays
and Dyaks, sword in hand, were upon them. The
Chinese fled in all directions ; some of them, know-
ing what must come, ran into the jungle and held
down their heads for them to be taken off. A
quantity of opium and guns was recaptured, and
the fact of this force comprising picked men of the
Kungsi, inspired the Malays and Dyaks with con-
fidence. Intelligence was received this evening that
the Chinese had deserted Beledah, a fort above
Ledah Tanah ; also that Siniawan, a village on the
opposite bank, was set fire to.

At this time the Bajah was living on board, but
each morning he went ashore to Ruppell’s for a bath.
Turnbull and I were told off as his body-guard, and

BORNEO.

189

after we had got him oft again to the steamer, in-
dulged in a little private pillaging of the wine-cellar;
Turnbull, with the genius of an Engineer, contrived
with a hooked rattan to draw up excellent hock
flagons through the little window which ventilated
the cellar, and with these and some cheroots, we
passed a pleasant hour each morning ; the owner,
you must remember, had bolted from Sarawak,
leaving his house open to everyone.

Mrs. Middleton and Miss Wooley, being tired by
this time of the steamer life, resolved to take up
their quarters at RuppelTs, and went over in the
afternoon with their goods and chattels. I was
ordered on active service, and with two Malays,
kept guard in the verandah during night. At
midnight the “head sound” came again, and I
learned from the boats as they went by that Ban
was destroyed.

12th.— Letters from the Rajah, who, after the
Datu’s success, had gone up to Beledah with news
that Bau was burnt, and the Chinese retreating
toward the Sambas frontier. Mrs. Middleton and
Miss "Wooley removed to the fort, and I returned to
head- quarters on the cabin table.

To-day, some of the Dyaks who had been in the
fight, returned with their prizes, and the cooking of
heads commenced. The heads, after being cleaned,
are hung over a slow fire and smoked ; this eftectuaUy
cures them, and they are then ready for stacking.
Perhaps thirty heads were hanging in different parts

190 PIONEBEIKG IN THE PAE BAST.

of tlie bazaar to-day. The Dyaks seem to take a
particular pleasure in superintending the cooking
before the Chinese in the Bazaar, and when any of
these came up to recognize an acquaintance, maybe a
friend, they looked as much as to say, “ If it were not
for the very great respect which we entertain for the
fire-ship’s guns, we should feel the greatest pleasure
in adding your head to this little collection.” This
head-cooking was the most disgusting part of the
whole affair, and made us feel very strongly that
it was only one set of savages who had been called
in to punish another. This feast of heads will
put off the “ civilisation ” of the Dyaks, and the
prosperity of Sarawak, sine die.

14th.— Letter from the Eaj ah, asking for volun-
teers. The Chinese, said the letter, were encamped
in the direction of Sambas, and were expected to
make a hand-to-hand resistance. A large party was
at once formed in the steamer, it included the mate,
engineers, Russel, and myself, with some of the
crew. We were to go up with the midnight tide ; a
boat with provisions was secured, but no men could
be got to paddle, such was the utter disorganisation
which prevailed.

15th. — The boat being ready, the men obtained,
and all of us looking for a little excitement, we felt
a little disappointed at seeing the Rajah and John-
son return. The Chinese had suddenly abandoned
their position, and marched over a hill into Dutch
territory.

BORNEO.

191

— The two steamers (I think, by the way,
I didn’t mention that the Dutch had sent one),
left this morning. Helms, who had returned in the
steamer from Sambas, went to Singapore to hold a
consultation with Harvey. A schooner arrived from
Singapore, well armed ; she made a good guard-ship
in the steamers’ absence.

23rd. — -The trial of the Chinese prisoners took
place to-day. The Malays assembled in great num-
bers from the different kampongs, all the dattus and
chiefs were present. I took an unwilling part in
this trial, but the Rajah ordered all Europeans to
attend. As far as the deciding of the cases went, we
had little influence ; there were six Englishmen to
about twice as many Malays, and the decision went
by the majority !

28th.- — Our steamer returned from Singapore
with the Spartan man-of-war, sent over by the
English authorities.

15th April.— To-day witnessed the closing-scene
of the drama. A prahu decorated with flags and
umbrellas (the symbol of authority), went up and
down the river ; a gong was beat, and then a man,
standing amid flags and umbrellas, proclaimed peace,
and told us we might lock up our guns, for that
nobody shotild hurt us any more.

The retreat of the Chinese was one of great
suffering; the Dyaks pursued them nearly to the
Sambas territory. When out of reach of the Dyaks,
they fought among themselves, and arrived in

192 PIONEEEING IN THE PAE BAST.

Sambas with a loss ■wHcb, at tbe lowest calculation,
was 1,500.”

ITow to resume my own narrative. After tbe
24tb of February Sarawak was quiet ; not, however,
in tbe calm of security, but ratber tbe lull after tbe
abrupt termination of a storm, wbicb might at any
moment break forth again, though perchance from
another quarter. The Chinese were driven out, but
passions had been aroused, and lawlessness was
abroad. The feeling of security and reliance in the
Rajah’s government, which it had taken weary years
to build up, was destroyed at one blow, and years
must elapse before it could be restored. Round
the Company’s steamer, which had now become the
head-quarters of the Rajah and the few Europeans
still left, armed savages were passing and repassing
in war-canoes, with restless activity. The steamer’s
guns were the only controlling force ; the G-overn-
ment was without resources, and the Rajah seemed
cowed by his misfortunes and uncertain what was to
be done. T felt, therefore, that it would be neces-
sary for me to take counsel with the Company’s
representative at Singapore, as to our future course ;
and as it was impossible to remove the steamer, I
resolved to perform the voyage in a small open boat,
which was the only means left me. I prepared to
leave, and at the Rajah’s urgent representation, I
undertook, on my way, to call at the Dutch settle-
ment, Sambas, in order to apprise the authorities

BOENEO.

190

there of what had happened, and to solicit their
co-operation in restoring order and quiet. I was
received by the Resident there with the greatest
courtesy, but the head-quarters of Dutch authority in
Borneo being at Pontianak, instructions had to be
obtained from thence. As I had fulfilled my mission,
I desired to continue my voyage to Singapore ; but
the voyage to Sambas had shown that it would be
impossible to reach Singapore in my frail boat, I
therefore hired a native prahu, which, though not a
very pi’omising craft, yet seemed to ofEer a better
chance. But in this I was mistaken ; we en-
countered a gale shortly after leaving Sambas, and
lost every sail but a jib, which, however, as good
luck would have it, enabled us to regain the port of
Sambas, just as a Dutch man-of-war arrived from
Pontianak on her way to Sarawak, and under the
circumstances, I was glad to return in her.

On my arrival in Sarawak, I found that the Rajah
had established himself on shore in the fort, had
to some extent recovered tone, and was able to
receive the Dutch with a show of becoming confi-
dence in his own resources. A few days later
a saihng vessel, the Water Lily, arrived from
Singapore, sent by the Borneo Company with the
arms and supplies, which I had ordered when going
down the river during the insurrection. The
Company’s representative wrote me as follows : —

“ By this- schooner we ship arms, ammunition,
and stores for the Sarawak Grovernment, also specie

194

PIONIEEING IN THE EAE EAST.

for account of the Borneo Company. Gut of
this remittance you will please furnish the Eajah
with such sum of money as he may require;
and, generally, you are authorised to place at the
disposal of the Sarawak Government the whole
resources of the Company in Borneo, so far as they
may be made available for the upholding of the
government and the safety of the European and
other residents in the Rajah’s territory.”

I was now able to send away our steamer and
proceed in her myself to Singapore. Here the
Baleigh frigate was lying, with gallant Admiral
Keppel, on his way to China. I called upon him, and
told the tale of our troubles. The Admiral had done
much for Borneo, where his name was a household
word. He had deeply interested himself in the
work of Sir James Brooke, and he was therefore
greatly moved by my story, and, though unable to
go himself, caused a ship of war to go across, and
make a demonstration which had the best effect in
calming the agitation. Accompanied by this vessel,
on board which as passenger was the Prince Victor
of Hohenlohe, now Count Gleichen, I once more
returned to Borneo in our steamer.

Some time after the insurrection, I accompanied
the Rajah to Brunei, and, on our return, we
called at Muka, where he hoped to settle a feud
between the two rival factions of the Pangerans
Dipa and Matusin. The latter had killed Dipa’s
father, and there seemed little prospect of settling

BORNEO.

195

sucli a feud ; however, the Rajah wished to try, and
we accordingly anchored off Muka, Boats came off
for us from the shore, and it was arranged that we
should land the same night ; the rival factions were
to meet before him in the morning. On the Rajah’s
invitation, I accompanied him, together with Mr.
A., a Singapore friend, on shore. Next morning
the Rajah received the two rival chiefs and
their followers, ranged on either side of a long
house. All were armed, and the experiment seemed a
dangerous one ; the Rajah evidently thought so also,
for once his hand moved down to a concealed
revolver. But the meeting went off peacefully— the
Rajah’s pleasing eloquence having its usual quieting
effect. To have brought two such parties face to
face without resort to arms, was a feat which those
who know what blood feuds mean will appreciate.
To reconcile them was impossible; but incidents
like this show how the Rajah exerted himself to
establish peace and good-will even at considerable
personal risk.

When peace was finally restored in Sarawak, I
made up my mind to take a run to Europe. During
ten years in the East I had been much exposed to
the climate, and had suffered in health ; moreover,
my arrangements with the new Company were not
satisfactory, and required alteration if 1 was to re-
main in Borneo, which could only be accomplished by
interview; so on the 19th June, 1868, 1 left Sarawak.

196

PIONEBRINO IK THE FAB BAST,

CHAPTBE V.

BEVISITINa BALI.

I HAD been eleven years in tbe East ; my work and
anxieties in Borneo bad told upon my bealtb, and,
wanting rest and bracing breezes, I was in no burry
to get to Europe, but ratber inclined to enjoy a
dolce far niente sort of life. I therefore gladly
accepted tbe offer of a nepbew of my old chief.
Captain Lange, who, coming into Singapore har-
bour in bis brig Oruda, asked me to go down to
Bali with him, and was pleased at tbe prospect of
again visiting tbe scenes of early days.

Tbe brig bad excellent accommodation ; I was
made very comfortable, and bad a delightful pas-
sage; soft breezes, and a smooth sea. Tbe coast
of Borneo was in sight tbe greater part of the way,
and we went so near to Sambas that I could see the
flag on tbe fort of Pamankat. On tbe thirteenth day
we made tbe coast of Java, off Oheribon, and then
shaped our course for Sourabaya, where I left tbe
vessel to have a peep at Java, rightly called tbe

REVISITING BALI.

197

garden of the far Bast, and the place of all others
for a -weary man who wishes to rest — a place
where he may indulge in luxurious repose, undis-
turbed by anything that is going on around him.
There is no activity and bustle to reproach him for
being idle, the Dutch seem to enjoy a perpetual
holiday, and do not bother the natives with develop-
ment ; they know they have a snug berth, and
endeavour to keep and enjoy it. I could have
wished myself a Dutchman, that I might be at
hberty to roam at pleasure over the lovely country ;
but not being able to pass myself oif for one, I could
not get permission to go into the interior, and had
to confine myself to excursions in the environs of
Sourabaya, which, though pretty, was not new to
me, as I had spent some time there in 1849, and so I
limited my stay to ten days, of which, however, I
made the most, and renewed my opinion of the
Dutch, to the effect that, though officially harsh,
they were, individually, the most pleasant and
hospitable people.

I left for Bali on the 17th of September, in my
poor old chief’s yacht, the Venus., which his brother
had kindly placed at my disposal. I coasted leisurely
and pleasantly along the coast of Java, landing now
and then ; I had a good cook, and every comfort on
board, and was not, therefore, by any means in a
hurry. With a book, and well-protected against
the sun by awnings, I luxuriated on the deck
of the YenuSf as she gently skimmed the smooth,

198

PIONEBEING IN THB PAE EAST.

limpid sea tinder easy canvas, and was able to ad-
mire at my leisure the beautiful scenery of Eastern
Java. On the 5th day we entered the Bali Strait,
called at Banjuwangi, where Mr. Lange had a house,
which in former days I had sometimes visited, and
then went across the strait to Bali.

I have often thought that the pleasure of revisit-
ing old familiar places and friends, after many years’
absence, is greatly alloyed with sadness caused by the
sight of the changes time has wrought, and I felt
something of that kind on landing at Bali ; the
place was as nearly as possible the same, but I saw
a great change in the people, and, above all, I felt a
great change in myself. I needed not the testimony
of the natives to tell me that I had grown older.
To outward appearance there was no change in the
old place, but it looked sad ; and though there were
some ships loading, there seemed to be a languor
and listlessness prevailing, very different from the
early days of my sojourn there. But there was
especial cause for this, the master mind was gone —
Mads Lange was dead. In my first chapter, I
mentioned the depressing effect which the pro-
tracted warlike operations of the Dutch had had
upon the trade of the island, and how M. Lange’s
commercial operations had suffered in consequence ;
this preyed on his mind, and, I have reason to think,
shortened his days. He died, still in the vigour of
manhood, and I returned only to find his lonely
grave, instead of the friendship I had hoped one

BBTiaiTING BALI.

199

day to know. His memory, I feel sure, must be
treasured in the hearts of the Balinese, for he was
to them a true friend and benefactor. There was
much sickness in the island, the season being an
unhealthy one. Out of the five Europeans who
now formed the establishment, two died during the
one month I was there, and a third was brought to
the verge of death, I, too, sickened, but not so as
to prevent my taking out-door exercise. Every
morning I took long rides along the palm-lined
sea-shore. My travelling companion, the ourang-
outang mentioned in a previous chapter, who had
thus far kept in excellent health, also sickened, and
whether in spite, or in consequence of hot baths
and injections, which by my friends’ advice were
regularly administered, and which he seemed to relish
much, I cannot say, but he finally died. B. I. P.

It was soon borne in upon me that, in my then
state of health, it would not be wise to make a pro-
longed stay in the island ; but as sickness and death
threatened to disable my host and his staff from
carrying on their business, and I, in an emergency,
could be of some service to them, I prolonged my
stay for six weeks, and finally consented, at my
host’s urgent solicitation, to proceed to Australia in
a ship which he was loading, and was prevented
by illness from accompanying himself, as he had
intended. Everything considered, the plan was a
very good one ; it secured to me a health-giving
voyage in a fine ship, and an opportunity of seeing

200 PIONEERING IN IHE EAR EAST.

AustraKa ; so on tlie tlie 8tli of November I ena-
barked in tbe good ship Stately, and soon the coasts
of Java and Bali faded on the horizon.

The fair wind with which we had started did not
last long, it soon veered to the south, and we had
to beat down against it, and eventually to go to
the south of Tasmania, instead of through Bass’s
Strait, as we had intended. The thermometer went
down to 62° degrees, and we experienced a heavy
gale and sea, which broke the stern ports, flooded
the saloon, and threatened the safety of the ship.
Meanwhile, however, I was gaining strength, dis-
cussed with great relish pea-soup, salt junk, and
plum pudding, and felt as if a new life was dawning
upon me, and I was getting ready to take my share
in it; but it was a lonely voyage, the ship was a
large one, and 1 the only passenger ; morever, during
the whole voyage of forty-five days, we only saw
one sail.

When I went on deck on the morning of the 24th
of December, we were within a few miles of a
barren, rocky coast. To me, who had been ac-
customed to the picturesque coasts of the islands
of the Archipelago, these frowning, rocky cliffs,
apparently without bush or shrub, appeared most
desolate. Great, therefore, was my surprise to learn
that right ahead, where no break as yet was visible
in the rocky wall, was the harbour of Sydney ; but
for the light-house right ahead, I could scarcely
have believed it. As we got closer in, an opening

EEVISITING BALI.

201

became visible between two abrupt headlands, but
still it only seemed an insignificant bay, as Cook bad
deemed it when, after surveying Botany Bay, he
passed this harbour unnoticed. When close to the
gap we took a pilot on board j there was hardly
wind enough to make the ship manageable, but as
there were signs of a sea breeze, her head was
directed towards the gap; the current, however,
swept us so close in under the south head that we
had to let go the anchor, and not a bit too soon,
for we were within a few yards of the rocks, and if
a breeze had sprung up before a steamer could have
been got to tow us out of our precarious berth, the
ship would have drifted on to the rocks, as the
least sea sends in heavy rollers, and we had no room
to pay out more chain. To make our reflections
more cheerful, we were told that we were lying
where the Duncan Dunbar was lost, when, out of
some two hundred passengers, only one man
escaped; the pilot showed me the identical bit of
shelving rock upon which he was, as by a miracle,
saved. At last the steam-tug came; we escaped
with the loss of an anchor, and in another hour
we were in the harbour, amidst a fleet of the
most famous clipper ships of G-reat Britain and
America.

Sydney had quite the appearance of an English
city, with the difference that at this time of the
year, when the old country was probably shiver-
ing in snow and ice, here was found all the

202 PIONEEEINQ IK THE PAR EAST.

luxury of midsummer. The streets were crowded,
lor it was Ohristmas-eTe, and the approach of the
festive season was visible in the abundant supply of
good cheer temptingly displayed. I went to see the
great market, where the fruit-stalls offered a sight
such as few countries can equal for its variety. I put
up at an hotel near the Botanical Grardens, where I
used every morning to enjoy my bath, my run round
the gardens, and my coffee in the Frence caf6 close by.
But I soon met with friends ; I had an introduction
to Mr. B - — to whom I consigned the ship’s cargo,
and he and his pretty young wife made my stay in
Sydney very pleasant. I parted from them with
much regret, and years passed by ere we again met
amongst the mountains of Switzerland, and had
goodly flocks of lads and lasses to introduce to each
other.

Having spent a month in Sydney, I went on to
Melbourne, remaining there a fortnight ; visited the
principal diggings, and proceeded to England in the
Royal mail steamer Oneida. We came by the usual
route through the Red Sea, calling at Eng George’s
Sound, where we spent three days very pleasantly,
roaming over the hills, which are covered with the
most wonderful variety of heather, scraping oysters,
or seeing the natives dance “ Corrobories ; ” and last,
though not least, one evening we had Shakespearian
readings by a gentleman who came to visit us on
board. There were a great number of passengers,
and the large saloon was full of an expectant audience.

EEVISITING BALI.

203

Tlie subject vas “ The Mercbant of Venice,” and the
reading delighted us all. The reader excited the
more interest as he was declared by the ladies to
be very like Shakespeare, a resemblance which, I
think, art had a little improved upon. A very
substantial sum rewarded him, to which was added
an invitation to breakfast next day, with his wife.
Next morning, however, there were ominous
whispers about, and from the few words that
reached me, I gathered that something very shock-
ing had happened; it eventually turned out that
the Shakespearian hero of the previous evening was
a convict, and that the character of the lady was
equally dubious.

After a very pleasant voyage, I reached London
on the 13th of March 1859.

204

PIONEJBBING IN THE PAR BAST,

CHAPTER VI.

BORNEO (continued).

A TEAE had passed. I had engaged to return to
Borneo, to take the management of the Company’s
affairs ; I had also taken to myself a wife, and on
the 20th of February 1860, we embarked at South-
ampton for our future home. We had a fellow-
passenger, Captain Brooke, who was also returning
to Sarawak to take charge of the Government, Sir
James having, at that time, fully determined to
withdraw from the Government in Captain Brooke’s
favour. He had told me so when I visited him at
Bath, and wrote me also to the same effect, in the
following words : —

" My active career is over, and I have made
arrangements to resign the government of Sarawak
into Brooke’s hands, at an early date. I hope we
may meet again in Sarawak, as I never give up the
prospect of visiting the coimtry and people before
my death ; we have had many a pleasant day there,
and you may again enjoy it.”

BORNEO.

205

I therefore looked upon Captain Brooke as the
future Rajah, and as I had known him for many years
as an amiable, fair-dealing man, who had gorerned
the country well and firmly, I rejoiced at the prospect.

We arrived in Sarawak on the 17th of April. I
had been absent two years all but two months, and
I found that this period had proved an unfortunate
one, alike for the G-overnment and the Company.

Two intriguing native chiefs, Sirib Musahor
and Datu Haji, who, regretting the old regime
of license and rapine, were chafing against the
march of civilisation which the Rajah’s Govern-
ment was tending to introduce, had plotted the
destruction of his government, the murder of the
European inhabitants, and had commenced opera-
tions, “ though as yet veiled under pretended inno-
cence,” by murdering two young men, Fox and Steel,
who were in charge of a remote out-station. The
more extended conspiracy planned by these men
was, however, discovered. Capt. Brooke’s younger
brother, Mr. Charles Johnson (now Rajah of Sara-
wak), who in his uncle’s and brother’s absence
administered the Government, had dealt firmly
with the emergency, and driven the two chiefs out
of the country. StiU, these events, following so
soon upon the insurrection of the Chinese, when
the G-overnment had to rely upon the Malay and
Dyak population, caused great uneasiness, and
threw a gloom over the place, and which, of course,
had also acted unfavourably upon all mercantile

206 PIONBBEING IK THE FAB BAST.

pursuits. In fact, when I accepted the offer of
returning to Borneo, many of the Europeans had
left, or were preparing to leave.

This did not seem a very good time at which
to bring out a young wife, and to recommence
my labours in Borneo ; but at the very thresh-
old of Sarawak, on the sands of Santubong,
we found a party, assembled there to welcome
Captain Brooke on his return, which cheered us.
There were Mr. and Mrs. Crookshank, who had
suffered so cruelly during the Chinese insurrection,
but had now recovered ; there also were Mr. Alder-
son and Mr. Watson, who, like gentlemen good
and true, had stuck to their duty in the time of
trial. None of those who were actors in the events
of those days wiU forget the humorous wit and
kindly disposition of these two young men, now
dead, and who in those gloomy days contributed
so much to enliven our small party.

The high hopes with which the Company had
started in 1866 were now brought very low; the
Chinese insurrection, the failure of the coal mine,
and the subsequent Malay conspiracy and inse-
curity, had indeed entirely disorganised the original
scheme; and as nothing succeeds like success, so
nothing failed like failure. The poor Rajah was
beset with pecuniary troubles ; and the Company
having not only had their prospects blighted, and
confidence shaken, but having incurred losses direct
and indirect, were perhaps not in a generous mood.

BOENEO.

207

Having already in England been made fully
acquainted with, the events taking place in Sarawak
during my absence, I was not affected by the low
and desponding condition in which I found every-
thing on my arrival, and I was fortified against it
by my determination to do my utmost to infuse
new life into the Company’s operations according to
plans understood and sanctioned at home. In this
pursuit I moved about a good deal, accompanied by
my wife, who admired and liked the country.

Meanwhile, however, our politics were not run-
ning smoothly. When Sirib Musahor was driven
out of Sarawak he fled to Brunei, and calling at
Muka on his way, induced his well-meaning but
weak brother-in-law, Pangeran Dipa, to take up a
hostile attitude against Sarawak, leading to the
expulsion of Sarawak native traders from Muka,
from which place came the principal supplies of
sago, the trade in which I was doing my utmost to
develop.

Captain Brooke found himself, soon after his
arrival in Borneo, obhged to start with an ex-
pedition for Muka, in order, if possible, to induce
the Pangeran to raise his interdict on our trade;
but he was met with hostility, and had to throw up
stockades till reinforcements could arrive. He
wrote to me from Muka : —

“This Muka war is a more troublesome business
than I expected, and the forts strong to assault
with such a rabble ; however, when our reinforce-

208 PIOKEEEING IN THE FAE BAST.

meats arriTe I shall be able to lead them such a
life as will soon tire them out.”

The reinforcements soon came, and Captain
Brooke and his brother Charles began a vigorous
attack, which must soon have induced submission,
had not the Grovernor of Labuan, who was also
Acting Consul-General for Borneo, appeared on the
scene in the war-steamer Victoria, and authoritatively
demanded the discontinuance of hostilities; more-
over, intimating that Sirib Musahor would soon
again arrive at Muka.

It is strange how an otherwise able man could
commit this unwise act. It was well known to us
all that the Sirib had caused the death of Messrs.
Fox and Steel, and would, if the opportunity had
offered, have done as much for the entire European
community of Sarawak. However, Captain Brooke
submitted, and returned with his force to Sarawak,
but the act of the Governor of Labuan was even-
tually entirely disapproved by the British Govern-
ment, and he appears himself to have had misgivings
as to the course he had taken. At any rate, the
steamer Victoria, which had brought him down to
Muka, called at Sarawak at the beginning of
October to offer her services, and Captain Brooke,
desiring to avail himself of the opportunity to send
Mr. Crookshank and a few of the leading natives,
with a view of coming to an understanding about
the opening of trade, also requested me to accom-
pany them. I did not consider it a very safe

BOENEO.

209

sion to undertake, considering tke circumstances
under wkicli the Sarawak forces had withdrawn,
seeing also that Sirib Musahor was still the
guiding spirit at Muka; but as the Datus urged
it, I consented. Mr. Orookshank went in his own

yacht towed by the Victoria, I in the steamer. The
Muka people, whom we found fishing, and other-
wise engaged at the entrance to the river, took no
alarm, but when we got half-way up to the town,
we were met by several large boats, full of men,
guns, and stakes for stockades, and at the entrance
of the narrow creek where Pangeran Dipa’s house
is, we found a heavily-armed boat, on board which
our native companions were ordered and detained,
the Captain, Mr. Orookshank, and myself only
being allowed to proceed up the creek to the Pan-
geran’s house — a very long one, capable of holding
several hundred men, and built on poles at least
thirty feet high. This house was full of armed
men, loading guns, and otherwise demonstrating in
a way not at all reassuring ; but as the captain of
the war-steamer had taken no precautions whatever,
we had no choice but to go up the ladder and
make the best of it. Pangeran Dipa was very
friendly, but seemed uneasy, and when after a while
Pangeran Musahor entered, looking black as night,
naked to the waist and with a great kriss in his
sarong, evidently in a passion and prepared for any
emergency, the situation became critical. Sitting
at one end of the room, with our backs to a crowd

210 PIONBEBTKG IN THE EAR EAST.

of armed savages, whom the Pangeran faced, it
needed only a sign from him and there would have
been slaughter. This we afterwards learned was
intended by Musahor, but Dipa restrained him, and
we got safely out of the place.

On my return in the Victoria^ I wrote Governor
Edwards the following letter : —

“ In consequence of the request of some of the
Chinese and Malay traders of Sarawak, I availed
myself of Captain "Wood’s permission to visit Mukka
in the Victoria for the purpose of ascertaining
whether the authorities there could be induced to
re-open trade with Sarawak. I wish to acquaint
your Excellency that the visit of Her Majesty’s
steamer has been so far successful as to induce
Pangeran Dipa to promise to relieve Sarawak
traders and allow them to trade. An interview
took place between him and some of the principal
Sarawak Malays, and the latter expressed con-
fidence in the integrity of Dipa’s intentions; but I
have also to acquaint your Excellency that Pan-
geran Dipa, while expressing himself friendly
towards Sarawak, stated that there are now people
in Muka over whom he has no control, and it was
clear from the demeanour of Sirib Musahor and his
followers that he meant them, as they showed signs
of hostility, erecting stockades, and loading guns
in ' ur presence. I have, therefore, to acquaint your
Excellency that, in the opinion of myself and those
who were with me, there can be no lasting peace

BOBNEO.

211

witli Muka till Sirib Musahor is removed; and I
pray your Excellency, if possible, to effect this.”

To which the Governor replied from Labuan on
the 28th October : —

“ I have to acknowledge your letter by the Vic-
toria steamer, and thank you for the information
given of the state of affairs in the Eiver Muka.
It was most gratifying to me to find that Pangeran
Dipa has so faithfully fulfilled his engagements ; I
trust that the trade of the river will have no fur-
ther hindrance. As you have visited it so recently
in the Victoria, I did not deem it necessary to
return there immediately, I did not reply to your
letter till I could make inquiries respecting the con-
duct of Sirib Musahor at Muka, but no information
on the subject has yet reached Brunei. I desired
Mr. Lowe to mention the subject to His Highness
Jang de Pertuan, who had promised to make inquiries
at Muka. His Highness is most anxious that the
trade of the river should not be vexed from any
cause, but you must be aware how impossible it is
for me to press upon His Highness the individual
interests of Sarawak at this moment, Mr. Brooke
having declared all friendly relations to be in
abeyance.”

As already stated, the British Government dis-
approved of the Governor’s acts, and Consul-
General St. John, who was absent on leave, '^as
sent out, and went to Muka in a war-steamer,
armed with the Sultan’s authority. The Sirib

212 PIONBEEING IN THE FAB BAST.

seeing that resistance was useless, left Muka, and
eventually Borneo.

During my various trips to Muka I had had
opportunity to acquaint myself with, the place and
its great sago-producing capacity, and I established
an agency and sago factory there. It was during
one of my periodical visits to the place in May 1862,
that a Lannun pirate fleet, consisting of six large
and six smaller boats, appeared off the river. I had
come up in the steamer Rainbow with Captain
Brooke, who had left me at Muka, and after
taking Mr. Hay, the Governor, on board, proceeded
to the neighbouring river Bintulu. The pirates
had captured thirty-two people in the neighbour-
hood, and remained two days outside the river.
There was great consternation in the place, and the
absence of the commander of the fort with part of
the fort men, made things worse. The river being
blockaded it was dangerous for boats to venture
out, and it was only by offering a large reward that

I induced some natives to make the attempt at
night. They were chased by the pirates, but suc-
ceeded in escaping, and delivered my letter to
Captain Brooke, at Bintulu. A desperate fight
with the pirates followed, and resulted in the fol-
lowing casualties : —

Pirates killed or drowned . 1 90

Escaped .... 19

Brought prisoners to Sarawak 31

240

BOEKBO.

213

Captives killed or drowned

. 140

Ditto liberated at Muka .

. 30

Ditto at Sarawak .

. 164

Ban away in jungle

. 56

390

Amongst the captives there were people from
every part of the Eastern Archipelago, from Borneo,
Celebes, Java, the smaller islands and the Malayan
peninsula. The appearance of these captives was
most distressing, many of them looked like mere
skeletons ; they had only had sea- water to drink, and
raw sago for food; and their limbs were systematic-
ally beaten, to disable them from mutiny or flight.

I must now ask my readers to carry their thoughts
back to the diary of the events of the Chinese
Insurrection which has been placed before them.
It is a record of first impressions, and recalls vividly
the incidents of that exciting time, and I can bear
testimony to the accuracy of the statements without
committing myself to the reflections and deductions
of the then youthful writer. That the Eaj ah’s be-
haviour on this occasion seemed at variance with his
previous brave and chivalrous conduct, was doubt-
less the case; but if we consider that he was
scarcely convalescent, after an exhausting illness —
that by a sudden blow, he, in one night, saw the
fruit of years of toil destroyed, his property given
to the flames, and himself a hunted fugitive in the
woods, disappointed in the support which he sought
amongst the natives, — his failure, if such it was, to

214

PIONEEBING IN THE FAB EAST.

meet the occasion as it required, may well be
overlooked. Still, those who were with the Rajah
then and afterwards could not but think that a
change had come over him, which seemed to show
itself in his subsequent conduct. It is not my
intention to dwell upon affairs which belong rather
to private life than to history ; but of one cir-
cumstance, which few of the Rajah s friends,
well-acquainted with the facts, can contemplate
without pain, I feel compelled to give a somewhat
explicit account. I refer to the estrangement
between himself and his nephew, Captain Brooke
Brooke, which eventually led to the disinheritance
of the latter.

As this sad quarrel forms so important a part of
the history of Sarawak, and has been variously
stated and misrepresented by partizans on both
sides, I am desirous of putting the ti-ansaction in
its true light, and trust I shall succeed in doing so.

It should here be stated that Captain Brooke
Brooke, formerly of H.M.’s 88th Regiment, was the
eldest son of the Reverend F. C. Johnson and his
wife, Emma Frances, eldest sister of Sir James
Brooke; a younger brother is Charles Johnson
Brooke, the present Rajah of Sarawak, the two
brothers having taken their uncle’s name.

Captain Brooke’s position will be best understood
by the help of the statements made in a pamphlet
published at the time, and from which I have largely
borrowed.

boeneo.

215

“ Upon Sir James Brooke becoming Eajak of
Sarawak, in 1841,” Captain Brooke says, “he
expressed a strong desire that Mr. Brooke sbould
join liim in the Bast, engaging, on his part, to con-
stitute his nephew heir to the Raj and possessions
of Sarawak, and these proposals were repeatedly
renewed between that period and 1848, when Sir
James Brooke returned to England, and was
appointed Grovernor of Labuan. Shortly after Sir
James Brooke’s return to Sarawak, in the same
year, Mr. Brooke, having determined to accept his
uncle’s offer, obtained the appointment of aid-de-
camp, and joined him in Sarawak in September.

“Bromthis time forward. Sir James repeatedly,
in writing, acknowledged Mr. Brooke as his heir ;
and the latter, on his part, made various sacrifices on
the strength of this promise. Thus, on the 9th of
January 1853, Sir James, writing to Mr. Brooke’s
father, with reference to a sum of money which the
latter had lent him, says:—

“ In case of my death, to whom, you ask, are you
to look for the interest ? You must to your son, as
Brooke will inherit Sarawak, as well as all my
property there.”

“ In September 1853 Captain Brooke resigned his
commission in Her Majesty’s service, that he might
devote himself exclusively to Sarawak, and, at the
Rajah’s desire, threw £1,500, the price of his com-
mission, into the public treasury.

“ In 1856, upon the occasion of Mr. Brooke’s mar-

216

PIONEBEING IN THE FAE BAST.

riage to the daughter of Mr. G-rant, of Kilgraston, Sir
James gave the latter the fullest written pledges
that nothing should interfere between Mr. Brooke
and the inheritance of Sarawak. In this letter he
says: —

“ Mt dbab Geant,

“ My marriage is a most improbable event,
and shall not stand in the way.

“First, then: Brooke’s succession is not only
legally secured, but positively confirmed by the
people.

“ Second : the Government will make a suflS.cient
allowance for Brooke’s proper maintenance.

“ Third : the provision for the widow and the
children shall be considered directly Brooke returns.

“ Fourth : the succession in the direct line is ac-
knowledged, but an infant coming into the succession
must be dependent on his natural guardians, and
on the degree of respect which the people at large
would pay to the arrangements of a deceased ruler.
The case would be the same, whether my son were
entrusted to Brooke’s guardianship, or his sons to
the guardianship of his brother, Charles Johnson ;
and in either easel should have a perfect confidence
in the stability of the arrangement, for I am sure
their faith and honour would be above temptation.”

“ In the same year, 1866 , a lease was negotiated
between Sir James Brooke and the Borneo Com-
pany; the legal instrument being, in consequence

BOENBO.

217

of Mr. Brooke’s interest as the heir-presumptive of
the Sarawak Grovernment, framed between Sir James
Brooke and Mr. Brooke, as co-lessors, and the
Borneo Company as lessees. This negotiation was
a very long one ; the lease was most rigidly con-
sidered by the professional advisers on both sides,
and Mr. Brooke executed it in the perfect faith that
his description as heir-presumptive to his uncle was
correct, and the covenants of the lease are made
with, while the grant of the minerals is made by,
both the co-lessors. Sir James’s signature, duly
witnessed, is attached to both lease and counterpart,
and no doubt can exist that the reciprocity of all
the parties is enforcible in all the courts of law
and equity in this country.

“ Thus, the position of Mr. Brooke, as the
acknowledged heir of the Eaj and possessions of
Sarawak, remained unchanged until the year 1857 ;
then occurred the outbreak of the Chinese insurrec-
tion, destroying the greater part of the town of
Sarawak, paralysing the trade, and shaking all
confidence in the stability of the country. Shortly
after the outbreak Sir James Brooke returned, in
ill-health, to England, and the Government of
Sarawak was placed in Mr. Brooke’s hands. It was
at this period, as will hereafter be seen, that the
first misunderstanding between Sir James Brooke
and his nephew arose.

“ In October, the following year, 1858, Sir James
Brooke, while still in England, was attacked by

218

PIONBEEING IN THE FAE EAST.

a serious illness, which incapacitated him from
further active service. 'Upon this news reaching
Sarawak Mr. Brooke returned to England, and was
at once entrusted by his uncle with all business
relating to the settlement.

“ In March 1859, Sir Janies Brooke’s health
being still precarious, it was proposed, with a view
to facilitate his immediate retirement from the
Government of Sarawak, to raise a testimonial
fund, on the understanding that the proposed fund
should not fall short of £5,000. Sir James, at a
meeting held at his friend Mr. Templer’s chambers,
and in the presence of Lord E. Cecil and Messrs.
Knox, Trelawney, Hughes, and Templer, formally
announced his resignation, and presented Mr.
Brooke as the Eajah of Sarawak. It will be seen
hereafter that the fund ultimately amounted to
more than £9,000, and was duly presented to Sir
James.

“ It was at this period that, by his uncle’s direc-
tion, Mr. Brooke, as the responsible ruler of the
country, entered into correspondence with Lord
Palmerston.

“In February 1860 Mr. Brooke returned to
Sarawak ; was warmly received by the people, and
assumed the government.

“In 1861 Sir James returned to Sarawak, to
assist in settling the serious difficulties which had
arisen with one of the neighbouring districts.
Finally, in September of the same year, Sir James

BORNEO.

219

Brooke, previous to Ms departure for England,
formally installed Mr. Brooke as the Eajah Mud a,
‘ young rajah,’ of the country, investing him with a
sword of state in the presence of the chiefs, and
calling upon them to obey him henceforth as their
Rajah, as formerly they had obeyed him (Sir James
Brooke) as Eajah.”

The foregoing summary sets forth the circum-
stances under which Mr. Brooke became Rajah
Muda of Sarawak ; but by no means does it show
the long years of service in a tropical climate, the
dangers, the poverty, the family afflictions that
had been his lot during the sixteen years he had
spent in the service of Sarawak. These are amply
shown and acknowledged in his voluminous corre-
spondence with his uncle. Moreover, in a time of
financial pressure, Mr. Brooke without hesitation
sacrificed a large portion of his private fortune to
assist the Treasury. From the time of his joining
the Government, in 1848, he was received as a
partner in the work, and for years, during the long
absence of Sir James Brooke, the entire manage-
ment of the province, both political and financial,
was entrusted to him.

To understand rightly the Rajah’s action in this
matter, it is necessary to take account of all his
sufferings, which had strained his faculties, mental
and bodily, and to some extent warped his judg-
ment. After many years of heroic labours and
sacrifices in the cause of Sarawak, he was disap-

220 PIONEERING IN THE FAR EAST.

pointed by not reaping the fruit he bad fondly
dreamed of. Weakened in health, disfigured by
small-pox, impoverished by the Chinese insurrection,
and suffering from the anxieties -which the subsequent
unsettled state of the country entailed, he had yet
felt, most of all, that the admiration and support
which his own country had once given him, had, to
a great extent, been withdrawn. He considered
himself ill-used by the British Grovernment, became
a man with a grievance, and wrote and spoke of the
Government in terms which showed that he no
longer judged with the calmness and patience of
former days.

In this frame of mind, and still feeling the respon-
sibilities and pecuniary cares of the government
resting upon him, without any certain source from
whence to provide for its wants, or indeed for his
own, it was natural that he should endeavour to
transfer Sarawak to some power which, while it
insured the future of the country, should reheve him
from pecuniary anxiety. He applied to the British
Government, but in a spirit and in a manner which
was little calculated to effect his object ; he, in fact,
adopted a tone which eventually brought down upon
him the reminder that he was a British subject.
He then turned to other states, France, Holland,
and Belgium by turns, but without success.

These transactions extended over several years,
from 1858 till 1862, and, meanwhile, time had
brought about a juster appreciation, on the part of

BOBNBO.

221

the British G-overnment, of the merits of the Rajah’s
claims, and the value of his territory. The Govern-
ment instructed the Governor-General of India to
inquire and report as to the nature of the Rajah’s
government and pretensions; and the Governor-
General deputed the Governor of Singapore to pro-
ceed to Borneo, and make inquiries on the spot.

But I have to take up the story at an earlier
date: Captain Brooke had, in 1858, come to an
understanding with his uncle the Rajah, by which
he was acknowledged his heir, and charged with the
Government on the terms stated by the Rajah in
the following letter, dated 19th of December 1858.

“Under these circumstances, then, you cannot
expect that I should resign my authority into your
hands till I am certain your views for the future
are consistent with the improvement of the country,
or until (the people being willing to back you), a
small portion of the debt due to me shall be repaid
so as to release me from risks, which I deprecate
as ruin. I may be forced, from circumstances, to
run these risks which you court, but you cannot
ask me to do so whilst any safe or honourable
alternative remains. If I be forced to incur such
a game of hazard, it shall be as Rajah of the country,
and I will die in harness, and leave you as my
successor. Now, the simple question arises — will
the people endorse your views, and can we in any
way raise such a sum as I require? For I conclude you
are ready to make sacrifices to carry out your plans.

222 nONBEEING IN THE FAB EAST.

I require £10,000 in money, and a yearly payment
during my life of £500 to £700, and after my death,
£200 a year for G-eorge’s life. Here are the terms of
my abdication, presuming the people, i.e. the Council,
and Abang-Abang approve, I will then formally trans-
fer my power to you, and when you have formally
accepted the responsibility, may God help you . . .
So far, then, there can be no misunderstanding,
there can be no wrong done. I yield to your wishes
at a sacrifice to you so small, that you will be only
too glad to make it, if in your power. I have shown
you a difference of views, I have shown you how it
may be brought to accord, and even in this I will
try and assist you, for I am not dealing in idle
words. The present Company, or a new one, will
still keep English interests in the country. My
friends talk of a testimonial ; £10,000 is not a large
sum, and even failing in more than £5,000, the
remainder might be raised on loan. You would
thus gain your object, and you might be justified,
to a certain degree, in running the risk you men-
tion; and if the revenue develope and British
interests expand, there will be a chance of success.”

That the rights and privileges named in the
above letter should in any event become Captain
Brooke’s, after the Rajah’s death, was, as we have
seen, only a fulfilment of the promise given when he
gave up his commission and prospects in the British
army, and devoted himself to Sarawak; but the
arrangement now proposed amounted to an imme-

BOENEO.

228

diate transfer of tlie country to Captain Brooke,
upon the terms of tke letter, viz. £500 to £700 a
year, and £10,000. But besides these payments there
was an obstacle which both seemed to have
overlooked, viz,, the assumption of the debt
of the Sarawak Government. Money had been
borrowed for the necessities of the State, and
more was necessary for the purchase of a steamer,
now urgently wanted. Captain Brooke’s guarantee
not being sufficient for the creditors, the Rajah was
looked to as the responsible party, as the claims
could not be discharged by the Sarawak exchequer,
then in an impoverished condition. Practically,
therefore, there could be no question of the Rajah’s
abdicating.

It was at this time, that, as above mentioned,
some of the Rajah’s friends in England, regretting
that the last years of a life so nobly spent should
be embittered by pecuniary troubles, conceived the
idea of inviting subscriptions amongst his friends, by
way of testimonial, the object being to raise a fund
for the purpose of relieving the Rajah from pecuniary
anxiety. The sum thus subscribed, amounting to a
little over £9,000, gave rise to misapprehension and
misunderstandings, both on the part of Captain
Brooke and the gentlemen who took the active
management of the matter, and, as will be seen,
these misapprehensions contributed to the fioaf
rupture between Captain Brooke and the Rajah.

The Rajah had, in his letter of the 19th of

224

PIONBEErSG IN THE FAS EAST.

December 1858, claimed £10,000 and an annuity of
from £500 to £700. The annuity he appears to
have fixed as between his nephew and himself, but
it was asserted by Captain Brooke, and by some of
the gentlemen who formed the committee for raising
the fund, that the Rajah had accepted this fund m
full satisfaction of all claims, and then and there
introduced Captain Brooke as his successor. That
this was their view is shown by the following extract
from a statement published by Captain Brooke, in
reply to an article in a Singapore newspaper which
adopted the Rajah’s view of the matter. Captain
Brooke says : —

“ Only recently it has come to the knowledge of
Mr. Brooke that a pamphlet printed by him in 1863
for private circulation, and referring to a recent
occurrence between Sir James Brooke and himself,
has been noticed, and, in a manner, replied to in an
article of the Singapore Straits Times. The idea of
becoming Rajah of Sarawak during the lifetime of
Sir James Brooke, had never occurred to him until
the proposal to him to resign in his favour was
made by Sir James himself, in the year 1858. Now,
Mr. Brooke must beg his readers to notice, in refer-
ence to this proposal, how strangely the newspaper
article is at variance with the facts of the case. It
says (pp. 1, 2) : ‘ In 1859, Sir James Brooke was
desirous to make his nephew Rajah, and to become
the Rajah Tuah (old Rajah). For this purpose
negotiations were entered into, with a view to

!,

i

BOENEO.

225

relieve Sir James Brooke from fcke liabilities
incurred in the Government, on completion of which
terms Sir James intended permanently to retire
from all active administration in Sarawak, and
instal Mr. Brooke in his place. The following were
the conditions named by Sir James in his letter to
Captain Brooke : I require £10,000 in money, and
a yearly payment during my life of from £500 to
£700, and after my death £200 for George’s life.
Here are the terms of my abdication.’ But this
letter containing these conditions was written in
1858, and therefore could not refer to a negotiation
in 1859.

“What is the fact? There were two negotiations
entered into with a view to enable Sir James
Brooke to abdicate. The first was made by Sir
James Brooke in 1858. The letter of Sir James
Brooke, from which the above extract was made,
contained the conditions under which, in 1858, not
in 1859, he was willing to abdicate.

“ ‘ These conditions,’ the article states, ‘ were not
carried out, and Sir James, on the appearance of
fresh troubles, proceeded to Sarawak in I860.’

“ How, it is true that the conditions of the pro-
posed abdication in 1858 were not carried out; but
anyone reading the above would be led to conclude
that these were the conditions of the negotiations
of 1 859, and that that proposal of abdication had
been given up because these conditions could not
be carried out ; although such was not the case. In

226 PIOSTEEEING IN THE FAE EAST.

the following year, 1859, Sir James Brooke was still
anxious to abdicate, and his friends, to relieve him
of a pecuniary difficulty which appeared the only
bar to bis resignation, determined to raise the money
by a public subscription. Sir James Brooke eagerly
accepted the proposal, and thus expressed himself
with reference to it, in his letter to Mr. Brooke, of
nth of March 1859

“ ‘ If no more is to be had, £5,000 will satisfy
me, as a return for my private fortune ; but I should
hke £10,000. I say, too, that it is my wish and
intention, provided this arrangement for money
can be made, to resign the Government into your
hands. I will be an adviser when you want me.’

“ The testimonial fund amounted to more than
£9,000 ; it was raised for a double purpose, viz.
to enable Sir James Brooke to rethe from Sarawak,
and to prevent his raising the necessary funds by
negotiating with France. Sir James knew the
conditions upon which the fund had been raised;
they were prominently stated in the circular issued
by the committee. The sum raised was presented
to him, and accepted by him; and so positive had
been the announcement of his abdication in Mr.
Brooke’s favour, that Mr. Knox, the private and
intimate friend of Sir James Brooke, and a leading
member of the committee, wrote to Mr. Brooke as
follows : —

“ ‘ I do not see how you can ob ect to the Rajah’s
return to Sarawak, for it appears that he must

BOESTBO.

227

return, to invest you formally -witli authority. Con-
tinued residence there, and interference with your
Government, would no doubt prove a violation of
the honourable engagement between you.’ ”

It will be seen that Captain Brooke maintained
there were two negotiations, one claiming an
annuity of £500 to £700 and £10,000 ; the other
accepting a testimonial fund amounting to a little
over £9,000, as a compensation in full for the
Eajah’s abdication. To the opinion of Mr. Knox,
one member of the committee already quoted as
apparently in favour of Captain Brooke’s side,
may be added that expressed by another member,
viz. Mr. Hughes, Q.C., who takes the same view.

“ 28th of April 1863. — am much grieved at
the news you send me, though I was not altogether
unprepared for something of the kind. It is a very
sad subject to me, and it is painful to me to answer
your questions, because I cannot do so without
casting blame on one whom I have for many years
honoured and looked up to as one of the greatest
of living Englishmen. However, you, on behalf of
Captain Brooke, have clearly a right to ask me for
plain answers to a plain question, as I filled the
office of joint secretary, with Templer, to the
Brooke testimonial. First, then, it was my un-
doubted belief at the time when the fund was raised,
that Sir James Brooke had determined to resign
the Rajahship of Sarawak into the hands of his
nephew. Captain Brooke. This belief remained

228

PIONEERING IN THE PAR EAST.

unshaken ; it is founded upon what I heard, before
the testimonial was started, from Sir James Brooke
and his intimate friends, and upon the statement of
his views which he made to the committee at their
first meeting. I would gladly speak with diiffidence
on the point if I dared ; but my memory of what
took place, and of my own motives for taking an
active part in so disagreeable a duty as raising
money for a great man, is too clear to allow me
to do so. Secondly, I cannot say whether the
other subscribers looked upon their subscriptions
as given upon this express understanding. Very
few of them were at the meeting at which Sir James
declared his intention of resigning, and we had no
means of judging what the motives of the general
body were, with whom we were not brought in
personal contact. I only speak positively for my-
self, and I should wish not to go any further in my
testimony. Of course you may make any use you
please of this letter."

On the other hand, the Rajah, on the 22nd
of December 1858, wrote to Mr. Charles Brooke
(Captain Brooke’s brother, the present Rajah of
Sarawak).

“I yield, however, to Brooke’s views and wishes,
on certain conditions; for I feel that I would
willingly hamper the stage no more. But Sarawak
must not be endangered by any personal feeling or
nationality of its ruler. If there be a fair prospect
of safety, let Brooke try his hand; but, at the same

BOENEO.

229

time, I must be relieved from the anxieties and
responsibilities of my office.”

“ ‘ These terms have not been fulfilled in a single
particular. How, then, does Mr. Brooke support
his pretentions ? Has he lost my letter of the 19th
of December 1858 ? or does he quote a paragraph,
which mentions my abdication, whilst he suppresses
the terms upon which it was dependent? There
can be no misunderstanding the correspondence
when read with a knowledge of the terms of my
abdication in Mr. Brooke’s favour. I did not abdi-
cate, because these terms were not complied with,
and, had I done so, I should have become a
pensioner upon my nephew’s bounty.’ ”

I have quoted letters supporting Captain Brooke’s
claim. The other side is ably advocated in the
the following letter from Mr. Thomas Fairbairn,
which sustains the Eajah’s view of the case. It is
dated the 13th of May 1863.

“ I deeply regret the necessity of my absence
from London at the time when the affairs of Sir
James Brooke are about to receive consideration
by the Cabinet. You know how long I have been
the Eajah’s friend, how true and lasting is my
affection for him. It would have been a happiness
to me to have assisted in any way I could to have
obtained the recognition of his rule and govern-
ment. The recent attempt by the Eajah’s nephew
to defy his uncle’s authority was marked through-
out by such ingratitude and baseness that I am

230

PIONEEEING IN THE FAB EAST.

not astonished to hear, as I have done from Mr.
Brooke himself, that he will even take advantage of
his visit to England under parole to stir up fresh
opposition to the Eajah’s position as the ruler of
Sarawak. Knowing, as I do, how Mr. Brooke met
the Rajah at Singapore, not daring to face his unc e s
just anger in Sarawak, and before the native council;
how his submission was complete ; how in tears he
confessed his sorrow for what he had done, and
then asked for permission to travel, and for t e
means of doing so; and how Sir James Brooke,
with ungrudging generosity, granted both, I confess
Mr. Brooke’s letter to myself makes me believe he
will resort to any artifice to deal his uncle a foul
blow.

“ It has not surprised me, therefore, to learn that
it is attempted to fasten the conditions on the
Rajah’s acceptance of the public testimonial in
1879, conditions which I unhesitatingly pronounce

to be false and unfounded.

“I may say that I was the prime mover in
getting up that testimonial. It originated at a
time when the Rajah was under my own roof,
stricken down by Grod’s hand. It was meant from
the beginning, and was so treated throughout, as a
simple, earnest, and affectionate testimony of friends
to a noble character and disinterested public
services, services which, instead of enriching,
had left their author, broken by illness and
weariness of heart, with threatening poverty. It

BOENBO.

231

was hoped that a fund to he raised would prove
sufficient to save the Rajah’s declining years from
want ; hut I most solemnly declare no stipulation or
suggestion of any kind, affecting Sir James Brooke’s
future conduct or perfect freedom of action, was ever
made. Had such a suggestion ever been breathed,
I, for one, would have indignantly thrown up any
connection with the movement. It never was made,
and whoever may now circulate such a statement
must be originating it for unworthy purposes.
Ask Mr. Knox, Lord de Grey, Mr. Kovelli, or any
other member of the committee who was not
mixed up with the shameful clique who subse-
quently wanted to make out that the Rajah was mad.
I am sure one and all will confirm what I have
said.”

It will be seen that a very serious divergence of
opinion existed, not only between the Rajah and
his nephew, but between gentlemen of high social
position who had taken a leading part in promoting
the testimonial. I think the impartial observer will
agree as to the difficulty of believing that the Rajah
could have consented to accept a sum which would
barely have given him £400 a year as a compen-
sation for the sacrifices involved in his wonderful
career in Borneo. The explanation appears to be
that when some members of the committee asserted
that the Rajah had accepted the testimonial fund in
full discharge of all claims, and then and there
introduced Captain Brooke as his successor, they

232 HOKBIBING IK THB FAB EAST.

overlooked the fact that the question of annuity was
regarded by the Rajah as a matter settled between
himself and his nephew, which, as it concerned the
Sarawak exchequer only, was not a matter for the
committee to take cognizance of.

As already stated, these transactions took place
in 1859. Captain Brooke returned to Sarawak in
the spring of 1860, and the Rajah followed in the
autumn of the same year. Friendly relations existed
between them during his stay in Borneo, and before
again returning to Europe the Rajah invested his
nephew with the title of Rajah Muda (young
Rajah), and charged him formally with the govern-
ment of the country.

Matters were in this position between the uncle
and nephew when the visit of the Governor of
Singapore above alluded to took place. Among
the papers with which the Government had supplied
him for his guidance was a memorandum drawn
up by Consul-General Spencer St. John, who, as
an old friend and adviser of both the Rajah and
his nephew, took an active interest in the Rajah s
negotiations with the British Government, of which
he was the representative. In tbis paper Mr. St.
John made the following statement

“ I have considered that as Sarawak has been
benefited by the expenditure of between £40,000
and £50,000 of Sir James Brooke’s private fortune,
that country should return it to him in £40,000 of
five per cent, stock. I pnt it at that, as he will

BORNEO.

238

have to provide for Mr. Brooke, in case the Govern-
ment should not continue him as Governor of Sara-
•wak for any time. I only suggest this as a way out
of a difficulty ; if well managed the country would
not feel it. Of course, it would be preferable if
the Government would boldly clear off all liabili-
ties, &c.”

This memorandum was probably not intended
for Captain Brooke’s eye; but the Governor,
doubtless wishing to act with perfect candour
towards his host, showed it to him, which had
the effect of greatly exasperating Captain Brooke,
who thought his rights infringed upon, and who,
it must be remembered, was, owing to his recent
afflictions and cares, in a morbid and excitable state
of mind. An angry letter to his uncle was the result.
It was as follows : —

“ I hesitated not one moment, but resolved to
take my own course and assert my own rights and
those of the people of Sarawak. Rajah, you must
blame yourself ; you have overstrained the bow of
my patience, and it has broken at last. We must
try our relative strengths, and all I can say is, that
if I prove the stronger, I shall always bear in mind
that you were the founder of Sarawak, that you
are my relative, and that you were my friend. I
do not write this in anger, but in calm determina-
tion, &c.”

And the challenge thus thrown down was taken
up by the Rajah, who again left England for

2B4

prONEEBI5lG IN THE FAB EAST.

Sarawak in February 1863. Captain Brooke did not
await bis uncle’s arrival, but met him in Singapore,
and a partial reconciliation took place. Brooke,
submitting himself to the Rajah’s pleasure, was
required to go on leave to England, and ensured
an aUowance. The following correspondence took
place between them : —

Mr. Brooke to the Eajah.

“ Singapore, 26th February 1863.

“Our interview terminated so abruptly yester-
day that I left you without hearing what your
intended commands were. I should like to know
whether you intend to prevent my return to

Sarawak.” , . ,

The Rajah s reply.

“ Singapore, 26th February 1863.

“ In reply to your note I say, as you have sub-
submitted to my authority, and expressed your
willingness to proceed upon leave of absence, I
have no intention to prevent your return to Sara-
wak, upon gaining my permission to do so. I can
give no pledge beforehand, as it must depend upon
circumstances at the time and your own conduct.”

The Rajah then proceeded to Borneo, and Cap-
tain Brooke went to England, where he, I think
unadvisedly, raised an agitation against the Rajah.
In defence of this course, Captain Brooke says in
his statement : —

“ But to his (Captain Brooke’s) surprise. Sir

BORNEO.

235

James proceeded to Sarawak, and without commu-
nicating with him, or even allowing any notice of
his arrival in England to reach Sarawak — in fact,
just six weeks after Mr. Brooke had left Singapore,
Sir James (who, as Mr. Brooke asserted, had agreed
that three years should be allowed for the recon-
sideration of the matter in dispute) summoned a
council ‘ and in their presence, but, as Mr. Brooke
is informed, without their concurrence,’ decreed the
banishment of Mr. Brooke during his pleasure, and
the deprivation of his rank and title. When this
news reached Mr. Brooke, he printed a statement in
his own defence, and protested against the act of
Sir James Brooke ; and consequently the statement
in the article, that Mr. Brooke rushed, immediately
on his arrival in England, into open opposition to
Sir James Brooke, is erroneous. Mr. Brooke found
himself betrayed. Sir James had induced him to
return to England on the understanding that mat-
ters were to remain for a time undecided. Not a
word was even hinted that he would take advantage
of his absence to condemn him before a council of
his own people.”

Had Captain Brooke acted with more patience
and prudence, time would, doubtless, have softened
the Rajah’s feelings towards him. I judge thus
from his expressions to me, immediately on his
arrival in Sarawak, when I had a full explanation
with him, as to the bearing of this event upon the
Company’s interests. He then explained at length

236

PIONBEBING IN THE PAE BAST.

the cause of the misunderstanding between himself
and his nephew, and spoke more in sorrow than
anger; but the hostile attitude which Captam
Brooke assumed at home resulted in his disinherit-

ance.

I have endeavoured impartially to state both
sides of this case, but do not hesitate to avow, that
in my opinion, the conclusion to be drawn is, that
Sir James Brooke had irrevocably and for sub-
stantial considerations acknowledged his nephew as
his heir and successor ; the latter was, in fact, a
partner in the Government, and it ought no longei
to have been in the Rajah's power to disturb this
arrangement ; nor is it likely that he would have
attempted this, but for the misfortunes which over-
took Sarawak in the Chinese insurrection, and the
consequent impoverishment of himself and his
Government. These misfortunes tended, as already
hinted, to obscure his mind and warp his judgment,
and vacillation and uncertainty were but too appa-
rent in his subsequent action in this matter. At
one time we find him “ quite ready to make over to
you (Captain Brooke) in the most formal and bind-
ing manner the country, the government and pro-
perty, receiving as little as I can live upon for
myself.” Again, “Brooke’s and Charlie’s positions
are established beyond my power to disturb, even
did I wish it.” But then, again, he assumes his full
right to act independently of his nephew, and uses
menacing language towards the latter; the fact

BORNEO.

237

being tbat they had no longer the right to act
independently of each other. They had contracted
obligations towards each other, and towards the
creditors of Sarawak, who had lent money to the
Sarawak Government upon Sir James’s security,
and were not content with Captain Brooke's. The
Rajah could not, therefore, abdicate till they were
satisfied ; and the truth is, he never had any desire
to do so, but illness compelled him to withdraw
from Sarawak, and to leave his nephew in charge.

As regards the transfer of his position as Rajah,
there had been the same vagueness and uncertainty.
He had, as Captain Brooke asserted, transferred his
government and position to him in the Court-house
of Sarawak in September 1861 ; but this was sub-
sequently denied by Sir James. Yet, that his
action on this occasion was almost an abdication, if
it did not absolutely amount to one, is proved by
the following letters written by two of the Sarawak
officers, one of them first in position after the
Rajah, who, when called upon by Captain Brooke
to give their opinion as to what had taken place,
wrote as follows : —

" At the ceremony of your installation as Rajah
Muda, the Rajah’s speech, as far as I can recollect,
was as follows : —

“ ‘ Data, Abang-Abangs, Hakodahs, and all pre-
sent : I have assembled you all here to-day to give
you notice of my intended return to Europe. I
have dwelt among you for many years ; 1 am now

238 PIONEERING IN THE EAR BAST.

old and in bad bealtb, and soon I may be caUed
away. Before I leave Sarawak I wish to tell you
that I create my son Eajab Muda, that I make
over the government and the country to Mm, and
I beg and entreat of you all, that as you have loved
and obeyed me as your Rajah, so now you will love
and obey him as your Rajah. The country is now
settled, our enemies are overthrown, and if you
continue resolute and united all will go well. I
now wish you all farewell ; if at any future time
you want me, I will always come.

“ By this speech the natives, and I, considered
that the Government was regularly made over for
good into your hands, and that you are now looked
on as the Rajah, for Sir James Brooke is now called
the Rajah Tuah ; in fact, it is as near an approach
to abdication as can be, or rather, perhaps I should
say, it is the Eastern mode of abdication. The
natives now, doubtless, look upon you as the Rajah
and ruler.”

Another officer wrote as follows

“ In reply to the letter you wrote this morning,
I can state that I was present when tbe Rajah, Sir
James Brooke, took his public farewell of the chiefs
and inhabitants of Sarawak. In the speech he then
made. I distinctly understood the Rajah to say that
he entirely placed the government of the country
in your hands, and in presenting you with the
sword he had canned as Rajah of Sarawak for

BORNEO.

239

twenty years, he introduced you to all present as
Eajah of Sarawak.

“He at the same time said that, should his
health permit of his again visiting his old people,
he should try to do so ; but I may say that the
impression of everyone present was that, in giving
you his sword he had tendered his formal abdication
of the Government of Sarawak.”

While sympathising with Sir James Brooke in
his misfortunes and difficulties which clouded and
embittered his latter years, one cannot help seeing
that his conduct towards his nephew was unjusti-
fiable. The treatment which drove the latter to
desperation and defiance was indefensible.

But when saying this, it should be remembered
that it is not by isolated actions under such cir-
cumstances that posterity will judge a great man,
and as such his work has stamped the Rajah.

That Sir James would have relented towards his
nephew, had time and circumstances permitted,
may well be believed ; but another was ready to
step into the place.

A recent writer on Sarawak, when speaking of
Sir James Brooke’s pecuniary difficulties, hints at
harsh and ungenerous conduct on the part of the
Borneo Company. This, in reality, was not the
case; the Company rendered the Rajah great
services and substantial support. The diary has
already shown how the Company’s steamer drove
out the rebellious Chinese, enabhng the Rajah to

240 PIONEBRING W THE BAB EAST,

re-assert his authority, and how the Company subse-
quently placed their resources at his disposal ; but
it must be remembered that the Company had been
greatly discouraged at the very outset of their
existence. The Chinese insurrection disorganized
their efforts, inflicted very heavy pecuniary losses,
swept away the labour from the mines, and left for
years a feeling of insecurity which acted injuriously
upon the development of the country; and when
things settled down, and the country began to prosper,
new anxieties were created by the Eajah s quarrel
with bis nephew. The Company was a commercial
one, not a philanthropic society ; the directors had
shareholders asking for dividends, and, under all
the circumstances, I cannot think the Rajah had
any just cause for complaint. Whether the Com-
pany’s conduct was calculated to secure the attain-
ment of the object for which it was founded, is
quite another matter ; but their fault, in the first
instance, was rather an excess o£ faith in the resources
of Sarawak, and too much impatience to develop

them.

What great changes had been wrought in the
prosperity and appearance of the country since Sir
James Brooke first established his government, will
be best shown by giving extracts from a letter
published in a Singapore newspaper by Mr. Hugh
Low (now Her Majesty’s Resident at Perak, in
the Malayan Peninsula), after his visit to the settle-
ment in 1868 . Mr, Low, who has written several

BOENBO.

241

works on Borneo, is an old friend of Sarawak,
where, as will be seen, he first arrived in 1844.

“ The town of Kuching, more commonly called
Sarawak by Europeans, was in 1844 a small Malay
village, with about forty miserable Chinese shops,
and thatched houses. There was not, at that time, a
house of brick in the place, and the only wooden
ones were those occupied by the Rajah and his
officers.

“One small schooner kept up communication
with the outer world, and by its making a voyage to
Singapore once in two months all the requirements
of the commerce of the place were satisfied.

“The town was situated in a swamp, and sur-
rounded, to the house doors, by jungle.

“ I now find it one of the prettiest places I know
of in the East. The swamps have been drained by
the roads, and the hills surrounding it are each
surmounted with a pretty bungalow, many of them
built of the most permanent material. A beautiful
armed screw yacht, belonging to the Grovernment,
conveys its mandates and officers to the out-
stations. The Boyalist, a most commodious steam
vessel, keeps up regular communication with Singa-
pore and Labuan, and schooners supplement her in
carrying the heavier portions of the trade. Several
ships annually go direct to England with produce
collected by the Borneo Company, and the trade,
in part of the town, consists of about 250 houses,
some of them of superior, and all of good construction.

242

PIONEEfilNG IN THE FAE EAST.

situated along a well-drained road, which passes
through what was formerly the swampy site of the
Chinese village.

“ On approaching the town from the mouth of the
river, the first houses are met with about two miles
below the commercial part of it, and as we near the
Samarang Eocks a view of almost unexampled beauty
opens upon us. The noble river, and the thickly-
clustering Malay houses occupy the foreground,
behind them are the hills, on which the Eesidency,
Mr. Helms’ and other beautiful bungalows, are
situated ; and at a distance of seven miles rises the
noble range of the Matang Mountains, behind which
the sun sets amongst clouds every evening, in a
glory which it is well worth a visit to Sarawak to
behold.

“I could not learn that the actual numbers of the
population had been ascertained, but I should judge
it to be about 20,000, and all seem to be occupied
and happy. The river is covered with large schooner-
rigged native boats, flying the Sarawak colours,
and its bank, along the Chinese bazaar, is crowded
with native vessels of various kinds from the out-
stations, from the Dutch territories, from the Malay
peninsula, the islands of the north and south
Hatunas, and many other places. The shops are full
of goods of all descriptions, and a perfect Babel of
tongues salutes the ear in passing through the
streets.

“ In those days the revenue also was of the most

THE MANAGERS Bl/NGALOW

BOENEO.

243

trifling description, and the expenditure was almost
entirely defrayed from tlie private fortune of the
Rajah. Though the expenditure is still a drain on
the credit and resources of the family, the following
figures will show that its prospects of being shortly
met by the receipts are very encouraging.

1865. 1866. 1867,

Dollars. Dols. Cents. Dols. Cents.

Receipts . 138,515 202,777 26 150,407 23

Expenditure 161,897 208,053 12 157,870 21

“ The wealth of the province of Sarawak at pre-
sent is in its minerals, the chief of these worked
being antimony, gold, diamonds, and, within the last
three months, ores of quicksilver.”

Of the district where the antimony and gold is
worked I have given some account in a previous
part of this chapter. I shall now say a few words
touching the quicksilver mines, situated a few miles
south of the former, at the base of the Bongo Moun-
tains, a sandstone range near the boundary of the
Dutch territory, and the watershed of the great
rivers which intersect the south-west coast of
Borneo. This part of Sarawak was uninhabited
up till the year 1867 ; the undisturbed primseval
jungle extended from the confines of the antimony
and gold-mining settlements to the base of the
Bongo mountain. Here, among the limestone
hills and rocks, I used at intervals to explore
and search for the minerals of which traces had
been found, and it was after many a vain search

24 A pionkeeing m the pae east.

th. 3 .% in September 1867, when straggling up a
mountain torrent with a party of natives, leaping
from boulder to boulder, I came upon a buge mass
of rock lying across the stream, which showed red
lines of the mineral of which I was in search. This
was the first sight of what is now known as the
quicksilver mines of “ Tegora,” the only mines of
the kind in that part of the world. This boulder
had fallen from the hill-top, 900 feet above. The
discovery led very shortly to labours which made
the jungle resound with the miner’s blast and the
engine’s puff.

Here, as elsewhere, it was much due to the ad-
mirable pioneering qualities of the Chinese, that
the great difficulties attending the opening of such
works were rapidly overcome. Roads were made,
huts built, machinery carried, and ere long the
mountain was made to yield its stream of liquid
silver. If I had to complain of the Chinaman here,
it was of his recklessness, whether at the mines or
at the smelting works. A prospect of gain over-
comes all his sense of danger ; here is an instance :
I was sitting with a friend on the slope of the
“Tegora” mountain; busy groups of men were at
work round about us, and above us towered the
peak. Suddenly, a dull, grating noise was heard j ust
behind us. It was caused by a huge mass of rock,
weighing hundreds of tons, which was sliding down,
crushing in its descent two Chinamen and badly
wounding a third. These men had been hewing

BOENEO.

245

out ore from a piece of rock which supported this
great mass. They had been warned of the danger
and ordered away, but had stealthily returned and,
unobserved, recommenced the work, which speedily
caused their destruction. Again, at the mercury
furnaces, all sorts of precautions were taken to
protect the men from salivation, but in vain; they
would work their own way, the consequences often
being disastrous. I remember visiting the mines
one day, when the manager informed me that a
Chinaman wished to see me. “ What does he
want?” I said. “ Oh, he’s got all his teeth in a
bit of paper,” was the answer; and so it was. I
was much shocked, but he did not seem to mind it
much, and a few dollars made him quite happy.

In the history of Sarawak, subsequently to the
Chinese insurrection, there is much that is to be
regretted, and a great blow was inflicted on the
prosperity of the country by the quarrel between
its founders; but to both uncle and nephew must
be rendered a hearty tribute of praise for their
devotedness to the land of their adoption, and their
conduct of one of the most romantic and heroic
enterprises of this century. Both the Bajah and
his nephew found final resting-places in their native
land; the death of Sir James taking place in July
1868, at his residence Burrator, in Devonshire.
Captain Brooke died the same year.

With their death, the interest which attaches to
the Sarawak to which they devoted their lives, may

246

H0J5EEEINS IN THE FAE EAST.

be said to bave ceased. Sir James Brooke’s labours
attracted the attention and sympathy of his coun-
trymen, because of the romantic circumstances
which surrounded his first settlement in Borneo,
his sympathy with the suffering Dyak tribes, and
the extraordinary influence he obtained over the
natives of the country. As for Captain Brooke,
those who knew him and witnessed his devotion to
his duties, and the sorrows with which it pleased
Providence to afflict him in his private life, will
think of him as a martyr to whom Sarawak owes
much, and whose lovable qualities are remembered
by native and European alike.

Sarawak has now passed out of that phase of
history which associated it with chivalry and
romance, but has, on the other hand, gained in
security and prosperity. The old savage habits of
the people gradually changed ; some of the restless
leaders were exiles, others died, and a new genera-
tion, which had not known the fierce excitement of
chronic wars and piracy, grew up in more settled
and law-abiding habits, and in more lawful occu-
pations. Commerce, the great civiliser, gradually
taught the people that greater advantages were to
be derived from peaceful trade than from piracy
and war, and Civilisation came to them offering all
her advantages without any of the drawbacks from
which many aboriginal populations have, under
similar circumstances, suffered. There were no
" mean ” whites, and no roughs from Australia and

BOENBO.

247

California to introduce new and unknown vices,
and the natives were not slow to learn the lesson
which tke “ almighty dollar” taught.

By small degrees, and in modest proportions at
first, the manufactures of Europe, India, and China
found their way to the most distant tribes, who in
return gathered the products of the forest. Many
of the telegraph cables which now flash messages
through the ocean depths, are insulated by gums
collected by the Dyaks in the forests of Borneo.
"When the natives had fairly realised the advantages
of trade, a great change for the better took place
in their habits, stimulated by the Chinese, who
promptly followed up every success of the Grovern-
ment in subduing hostile tribes by settling amongst
them, and turning the minds of the natives to
labour and gain. The astuteness and capacity of
the Chinese for adapting themselves to any cir-
cumstances, was shown here, as elsewhere, to a
very remarkable extent. Small as was their
number, they were yet found in every available
settlement, often without knowing the language,
and at the risk of their lives, which, however, to
the Chinaman was a secondary consideration, gain
being his first, in the competition for which, the
simple Dyak was utterly unfit to cope with him.
But whatever the faults of the Chinese, they are
unrivalled as pioneers in tropical countries, and are
in trade valuable as mediums between the white
man and the savage.

248

PIONEEEING IN THE FAB EAST.

In this manner the country gradually advanced
in prosperity, which was very visible, not only
amongst the natives, but also in the character of
the government. The simple patriarchal relations
which subsisted between the rulers and ruled had
to a great extent passed away with the early
founders of the settlement, yet it is upon such
bonds of sympathy and confidence that an autho-
rity like that of the white ruler of Sarawak must
depend.

But the present G-overnment of Sarawak pos-
sesses an element of security in the variety of
races of which the population is made up, which,
however, would be disturbed if the Dyaks became
possessed of fire-arms, and it is improbable that
these can permanently be withheld from them.
Sarawak possesses a land frontier of several hun-
dred miles, entirely surrounded by Dyak and
Kayan tribes, who, from the head waters of the
numerous rivers, can swoop down upon the popu-
lation below ; while to attack them from boats
slowly and painfully ascending against the stream,
with its densely-wooded banks lined with marks-
men, would be a precarious task.

What the future of Sarawak may be is hard to
say. The Brooke dynasty may be perpetuated, but
it would be an unique incident in history. The
results of Sir James Brooke’s labours will not,
however, be allowed to disappear. Holland, for
one, could not allow anarchy and native misrule

BOENEO.

249

to be renewed in Sarawak ; ber prestige — a word
much abused, but implying an important truth in
dealing with native races — is a question of vital
importance. The fate of Sarawak may possibly be
determined by the success or otherwise of the
new Company now forming to work the north of
the island.

The formation of this Company to develops the
resources of North Borneo is one which, at least
from a philanthropic point of view, is deserving of
sympathy and success. It will tend to ameliorate
the condition of a people fast decaying under the
misrule of the Brunei and Sooloo sultans and
nobles, will utilise a fine country, extend civilisation
and commerce, and perhaps wean to more peaceful
pursuits the Lanun pirates, who used so grievously
to harass the coasts of Borneo and neighbouring
islands, and to render native, even European trade,
insecure. These pirates had their home in the
Sooloo Archipelago, over which Spain professes to
claim suzerainty ; that she has been unable to
coerce these atrocious and daring freebooters
proves the weakness and unreality of her power,
even in the Sooloo Archipelago. To the Dutch it
is due to say that they did their best, but Holland
may well be excused if, having so vast a colonial
seaboard to guard, she failed to do so effectually ;
the wonder is, that Spain and Holland should view
with jealous eyes a movement like that of the North
Borneo Company, which proposes to occupy terri-

250

PIONEEEING IN THE PAR BAST.

torj in wticlt they have no practical interest, and
the development of which under British auspices
can but tend to lighten their own duties and
increase the prosperity of their possessions.

But the task of the North Borneo Conapany
will not prove an easy one. In many respects,
doubtless, the northern part of the island may be
considered the most valuable. The want of decided
seasons, which, in South Borneo seems to prevent
the profitable cultivation of some of those more
valuable products which Europeans come to the
Bast to plant, is less felt in the north of the island,
and there is probably no reason why coffee, tea,
cinchona, or indigo should not grow here as well as
in India or Burmah. Again, in the north are found
the only good harbours in the island, while one
advantage which Borneo possesses over India, the
large Sunda islands, and Australia, viz. its navig-
able rivers, is not wanting in the north. There is
no country in the East where these natural high-
ways are so numerous as in Borneo, and the
facilities which they offer for opening up the island
cannot easily be over estimated.

Still, if the Company anticipate an easy conquest
of their difficulties, they have notread the chroni-
cles of Borneo aright. It is true that Sir James
Brooke, his followers and successors, have, to a
great extent, cleared the ground for them. The
natives have learned to associate the English name
with the noble work done by them, while the

I

BOENBO.

251

mightyadTanceof commerce during tie last decades
has been gradually encircling this stronghold of bar-
barism in its irresistible folds. But even so, savage
nature will not easily yield to civilising influences,
which make rapid strides only when paying their
way. Steam-ships, telegraphs, and railways are
costly things, which a savage country with a scanty
population can ill support.

The Company hold a territory of 20,000 square
miles, with a population of upwards of 100,000
aborigines and Malays who, it may be assumed,
will contribute but little towards the labour or
development of the country. Subjects brought so
low as those under a sultan’s sway are not easily
trained to industrious toil. The sponge must
indeed have been squeezed dry when such rulers
as the Sultan of Brunei and his Ministers consent
to part with it ; but, though Their Highnesses may
find it more profitable personally to pocket a fixed
sum than to apply the squeeze to a people no
longer capable of responding to their satisfaction,
the numerous Pangerans and Hakodahs, who are
their agents, and who, as a rule, pocket the bulk of
the squeezes themselves, are probably not so well
satisfied with the new state of things. Independent
action in such matters is dear to their souls, and I
am much mistaken if trouble and intrigue do not
result, particularly if the Company become mono-
polists.

Commerce and dividends are not, under such

252 PIOKBEEING IN THE FAB EAST.

circumstances, well mated with, empire and autho-
rity. Sir James Brooke’s great influence over the
natives was, in a great measure, owing to the fact
of his standing aloof from trade; his sacrifices were
patent to the natives, he lived amongst them,
sharing good and evil days with them; he spent
his own fortune and promoted theirs, but he never
appeared as a rival in trade ; he had clean hands,
and had a right to adopt the lofty tone of a
sovereign ruler.

And, if the Company’s position and status are
different from those of Rajah Brooke, the con-
dition of their respective countries also materially
differ. While North Borneo has great advantages
over Sarawak, the latter has enjoyed others, which
have materially helped it forward. It was mainly
due to the mineral resources that the Sarawak
Grovernment was able to tide over its difficulties.
The gold and antimony brought the Grovernment,
directly and indirectly, their revenue ; and not only
so, but the men to work these minerals were, from
the very first, ready at hand in the adjoining Dutch
province, with a large gold-digging Chinese popula-
^hich had but to step across the border, while
the vigorous tribes of sea Dyaks, when once sub-
dued, became a powerful element in the develop-
ment of the resources of the country. Again,
Singapore, with its Chinese capitalists and labour,
was within 350 miles of the settlement, while North
Borneo is separated 900 miles from it.

BOBNEO.

253

Tribes scattered over vast territories, sucb as
those in Borneo, find this amongst the first results
of an improved government, that the products of the
forests rise in value ; they can collect them in safety
and dispose of them to the best advantage. But
the more valuable of these products are, in a com-
paratively few years, exhausted, and entire districts
are often denuded of the trees which yield them ;
they do not, in fact, offer any permanent source of
income to the population, or revenue to the govern-
ment. This agriculture only can supply.

It is to China that Borneo wifi, look for popula-
tion and labour, and, from my point of view, this is
the interesting part of the Company’s programme ;
for it is an incident in, perhaps the immediate fore-
runner of, a great wave of Chinese immigration,
which seems inevitable at no distant date, and
which may become a formidable movement. To the
Chinese, the Eastern Archipelago has long been a
favourite goal; and their emigration to America
and Australia being repelled, we shall probably see
the receding wave turn towards the Archipelago.

Meanwhile, this will help the Company ; but when
the Chinaman begins to feel his strength, the
anxieties of government will be felt by them.
Those burning questions between the old savage
possessors of the soil and the new-comers, which
must occur sooner or later, will then crop up, and
require a strong Grovernment to deal with them.

But if the Company is paving the way for a

HONEEEING IN THE FAB BAST.

I

great Bornean Empire, under the British flag, it
will be doing a good and useful work. A settle-
ment that should embrace the territory ceded to the
IS'orth Borneo Company, as well as Brunei and
Sarawak, would prove no contemptible acquisition
to the British Crown, and has, unquestionably,
much to recommend it. With little sympathy for
a foreign policy of territorial abandonment, as a
rule, I yet hold that the ever-increasing dominions
gathering under the British flag involve a respon-
sibility from which English statesmen may well
shrink ; but there are certain geographical positions
which are recognised as affording security rather
than danger to the British Empire, and Borneo
may be found to belong to this class of possessions.
A glance at the map will show how very important
the harbours of North Borneo might become to a
British fleet, if the day comes that England has to
fight to protect her commerce in the China Sea, or
the Pacific. These harbours are backed by vast
coal-fields, the country is healthy, with a moderate
temperature, and the island possesses unrivalled
resources. What is wanted is population, and under
a strong Government the country would very soon
be entitled to the name “ New China,” rather than
“ New Ceylon,” as some writers already call it, for
to the Chinamen, and the race which will spring
from their union with the Dyaks, and not to the
decaying Malay, belongs the future of Borneo.

The increasing power of the Mongolian race over

BOBNBO.

255

other parts of the globe than those now occupied
by them is not, perhaps, a pleasant prospect ; but a
survey of the condition of the far East will, I think,
lead to the conviction that the march of events is
fast bringing those vast and now neglected posses-
sions within the reach of reclamation and develop-
ment, and that the Mongolian race will take a
leading part in this movement there can be little
doubt. Their numbers (about 360 millions) and
qualifications alike point to them as the coming
race in those parts. The Chinaman surpasses every
other race in the qualities required for contending
with nature in undeveloped and savage countries, and
so we see him gradually supplant them in the Indo-
Chinese peninsula, from their own borders to the
southernmost point of Malacca, in the hundreds of
islands in the Eastern Archipelago, in Australia and
the Pacific, in California and Peru. At present he
is the labourer only ; but we have seen that in
Borneo, and elsewhere, there have in the past been
Chinese dominations. The Chinese will follow the
Japanese, slowly but surely, in profiting by the
teaching of European civilisation, whether for peace
or war. Already we hear of steam-ships, com-
manded, manned, and navigated by Chinese,
crossing the Pacific to California, and of Chinese
admirals inspecting European arsenals and forts ;
and it is not an improbable fancy that would pic-
ture celestial fire-ships carrying the hordes of China
to conquest in the Eastern seas.

I fill
Ifil

III

i-

. i

I f

: r-.r

266

PIONEEEING IN THE PAE EAST.

If, therefore, as seems scarcely doubtful, we are
now witnessing the first straggling settlements of a
future great Chinese Empire in the Eastern Archi-
pelago, Englishmen may reflect whether it is not
well that the training of such a people shall
he under British supervision, and be formed after
an Anglo-Saxon, and not a purely Chinese, or even
Muscovite pattern — for these three great nationali-
ties seem destined to rule the Eastern world.

Much might be done by the rulers of India to
prevent the Indo-Chinese population from assuming
a too distinctive Chinese character, by encouraging
immigration from India. The Chinese element,
which is to some extent objectionable both morally
and physically, could be easily modified by the
introduction of the natives of India, as labourers
or settlers, while the latter country would be
relieved of its redundant population.

Who that has witnessed the blessings which
British civilisation, freedom, and commerce have
scattered in those regions, and noted the capacity
which the Chinese display for utilising them, can
help entertaining the hope that the British flag —
not of the lesser, but of the G-reater Britain — may
continue to wave supreme in those seas, and that,
till the great Anglo-Saxon Confederacy comprising
all British settlements shall have been matured,
England will hold in trust such possessions as
those of the Island of Borneo.

CHAPTER VII.

A BBIEP VISIT TO CHINA AND JAPAN.

I HAD done witli Borneo. On the 30th of May
1872, 1 embarked in the steamer which was to carry
me from its shores, and, as it turned out, for the
last time. It was just twenty years since I had
arrived there ; the country was then still savage,
poor, and undeveloped. News from the outside
world came to us at uncertain, often long intervals;
and our days were passed in slow monotony. But
we were living in hope ; the great possibilities of
the future brightened the present, and nerved us
for the work which each in his own sphere had to
perform. For myself, as I looked at the country
for the last time, and the scenes through which I
had passed and the work I had done flitted before
my mind, I felt satisfied that though twenty of the
best years of my life had been spent in its jungles,
they had not been spent in vain.

My route to Europe was by way of China, Japan,
and California. Of some of these countries I had

258 PIONBEEING IN THl FAB EAST.

interesting recollections ; time must, since my first
visit, have wrought great changes, and I employe
myself in jotting down some notes on the home-
ward voyage, which may interest some readers.

Having left Singapore in the Messagenes steamer
Provence, on the 10th of June, we anchored off
the Mekong (the Cambodian river), on the evening
of the 12th, and steamed up to the town of Saigon
next morning.

It was now many years since I had last sailed on
the waters of this river, on the occasion of my visit
to the King of Cambodia. He had then looked
rather to the Union Jack than to the Tricolour for
protection, but France was now mistress here, she

had conquered these countries ; the Empire wanted
glory and military prestige, and the sufferings of
Frencli missionaries at the hands of the Cochin-
Chinese, offered a pretext which satisfied the religious
sentiments of the country. It has been said that
France goes to war for an idea ; she appears to form
colonies on the same principle. Here was this town
of Saigon, with its military and naval establishments,
its forts, docks, roads, and public buildings on a
magnificent scale, but with little trade, and that in
the hands of the English, Americans, or Hermans,
but few, if any, Frenchmen. How different is such
a beginning to that of an English settlement ! The
trader here leads the way ; his warehouses, a church,
a court-house, probably a club, certainly a cricket-
ground, form the nucleus of a British settlement.

CHINA AND JAPAN.

269

Probably the Frenchman’s aim is a loftier one ; reli
gious proselytism, military glory, scientific research, ;

may be a nobler aim than the barter of Manchester il

or Sheffield goods, but if the object be to wean .j

barbarous and semi-barbarous races to courses more
in conformity to what western nations call civilisa- |;

tion, to promote their material welfare, and throw
open the resources of the wide world for the benefit j|

of mankind in general, then I think experience
shows that trade is the most effective civiliser.

On the morning of the 14 th we left Saigon ; four
hours’ steam through a flat and uninteresting
country brought us to Cape St. James ; with cool
north-easterly breezes and a smooth sea we held
our course toward Hong- Kong, within sight of the
barren mountain ranges of Cochin-China. A few,
but pleasant fellow-passengers, a table almost too
luxurious, and a rubber of whist every night, com-
bined to make the passage a very agreeable one.

On the evening of the 17th, four days after leaving
Saigon, we were steaming in the shadows of a high
mountain, the terraced sides of which displayed
brilliant lines of light. Soon we were threading
our way between the crowded shipping in the
harbour of Hong-Kong, made gay with thousands
of coloured lanterns suspended from Chinese junks,
while the beating of gongs and the shrill voices of
women in the boats which on every side surrounded
us, made it quite clear that we had reached the
Celestial Empire. I had not yet made up my mind

260 PIONEEEIHG IN THE EAB EAST*

whether to proceed in the steamer to Shanghai, or
whether to go from hence to Japan direct, but acci-
dent decided me. Coal-barges were already along-
side, and every skylight-door, an opening to the
saloon and cabin, was closed to keep out the coal-
dust. Going down to pack my portmanteau, I
soon found the heat so unbearable that I was
glad quickly to seize a few things and make my way
on deck, determined to leave my portoanteau where
it was, till we should reach Shanghai. Then, after
having with some difficulty got into a boat, by making
a leap into one out of a great number which were
swayed to and fro by the competing syrens, who
were pushing and iostling each other, as to who
should get their boat nearest the gangway and so
secure the fare, I was quickly pulled on shore,
and soon found myself in a sedan chair ascending,
by zigzag roads, the mountain side upon which Hong-
Kong is built. Two pleasant days were spent here ;
but it is not my plan to say much of China, where
my stay was short, for I resisted my friends tempt-
ing offer to visit Macao and Canton, though I would
like to have seen whether time had wrought as
great a change there as I noticed in Hong-Kong,
which, a thriving settlement when I last saw it, had
now become a great city.

On the 20th I re-embarked in the Provence for
Shanghai. I felt now quite at home amongst the
gentlemanly officers of the ship, who were full of
fun. I remember an amusing bet which was made

CHINA AND JAPAN.

261

at table ; one of them undertook to eat fifty lichis,
a fruit with a stone, which he was to cut out, in
five minutes; the bet was for ten pounds. He had
done forty-one well within the time when, to his
great chagrin, it was found that there were no more,
and that the conditions of the bet could not be ful-
filled. Our passage was somewhat delayed by dense
fogs, and the last twelve hours by a heavy gale ; it
was, in fact, the tail of a typhoon, but we got safely
into the river on the morning of the 23rd. A striking
contrast to the brown rocks of Hong-Kong, is the
verdure of the smooth paddy-fields between which
the ship passed up the Shanghai river.

These outposts of European civilisation planted
on the coast of China, their vitality and rapid
growth, seem to me one of the most suggestive
and portentous signs of this progressive age. It
points undoubtedly to great and rapid changes in
the history and development of the long-slumbering
East. They show what may be expected when the
enterprise and science of the West shall have
leavened the Chinese Empire. The spot where
this great city of Shanghai now stands was, some
five-and-twenty years ago, green paddy-fields ; now
it is the centre of a vast trade, supplying the West
with tea and silk, while introducing to China the
manufactures of Europe and America. The shrewd
and thrifty Chinaman was not long in taking ad-
vantage of the security which the shadow of the
foreign flag afforded him, on the very threshold of

262

PIOKBEBiNCS^ IN THB f AB BAST.

Ms own empire and against Ms own countrymenj

harassed by the Taiping rebels who, with fire and
sword, wasted the cities on the sea-board of China.
They flocked in thousands to settle and make
money under the protecting wings of the British
and french forces. Soon a great Chinese city
sprang up around the European settlement. But for
a time their confidence was misplaced : the Powers,
unable to agree upon a united policy, aUowed the
Taipings to attack, murder, and burn the settle-
ment under their very eyes. At last the iaipings
were conquered ; a British ofidcer taught the
Chinese how to fight, and they crushed the mon-
ster. The rebellion came to an end; and once more
a Chinese town arose around Shanghai; but not so
merely, they invaded the European settlement, not,
indeed, by conquest of the sword, but by the power
of the dollar. John Chinaman, fond of the dollar
himself, knows its potency with Europeans, and so
in the European quarter of Shanghai, originally
intended for the white people only, the yeUow-
skinned Chinaman soon reared houses fit to vie
with the sumptuous residences of the European
merchants. Having secured a vantage-ground, I
should not be surprised to see them eventually
crowd out the Europeans.

The great heat which prevails in Shanghai during
the summer months was just beginning, and I was
not sorry to get away, for my health was not quite
satisfactory. I embarked on the night of the 24th

CHINA AND JAPAN.

263

June, in the Pacific Mail Company’s steamer New
York, for Japan. Our departure was to haye
been soon after midnight, but seemed to be delayed
in deference to a wedding-party which was on
board. The newly-married couple were going to
Japan for their wedding tour, and were accom-
panied on board by fourteen or fifteen gentlemen,
all Americans I think. A supper was partaken of,
and after the young couple had retired, the party
got so merry and were so loth to leave, that some
little pressure had at last to be employed to get
them out of the ship, and we did not get off till
2 o’clock on the morning of the 25th.

We had fresh breezes, some sea, and the ther-
mometer went down to 65 degrees, twenty below
what I had been accustomed to in Borneo. I had
to put on warmer clothing, and felt I was recover-
ing under the united influence of a bracing air, and
the careful, I may say solicitous, attentions of one
of the Chinese stewards. A fellow -passenger had
remarked that this boy was always looking after
me, and in a marked degree attending to my com-
fort. I, too, noticed it, and asked the reason. He
answered me in Malay, “I am sorry you don’t re-
member me ; I served you in Sarawak, and I hope
you are going back again, for I should like to
return there.”

Waking on the morning of the 28th, I heard
animated conversation in a strange tongue ; they were
pleasant, cheery, and laughing sounds, soft and melo-

264 PIONEEEING IN THE EAE BAST.

dious. The speakers were Japanese boatmen, crowd-
ing round the steamer in search of fares. We were
in Nagasaki. I dressed quickly and went on deck.
What a lovely scene it was! A narrow water,
almost land-locked, which looked more like a river
than an arm of the sea, bounded on either side by
a beautiful hilly country, indented with numerous
inlets, bays, and gullies ; the hills terraced with
cultivated fields set in a framework of rich and
varied foliage. Here and there was a village or
group of single houses. It was a pleasing scene,
and I felt that I should like Japan.

But as yet I was but on the threshold ; I had
still the famed inland sea before me, with its towns
and cities. I hoped to make some stay at Hiogo,
Yokohama, and Teddo, perhaps to visit Kioto— the
sacred city of the Mikado, as yet but rarely seen by
Europeans. In comparison with these Nagasaki
had but little to show, and our stay was but of a
day’s duration.

For those of my readers who have not paid much
attention to the previous history of this remarkable
people, a few words upon the condition of old
Japan, now fast fading away, may be desirable.

The Empire of Japan is composed of four large
and, it is said, about 3,800 smaller islands, with a
population about equal to that of Great Britain,
viz. 34,000,000. The Mikado, or emperor, who
dates his dynasty 660 years b.c., had exercised a
feeble sway at Kioto, or, as it is now called, Miako.

CHINA AND JAPAN.

265

Anarchy and tribal fights divided the country, and
finally, in 1192, the commander-in-chief, or Shio-
gon, usurped the authority, governing at Yeddo.
Still the Japanese continued to consider the Mikado
as their sovereign ; the position, as has been
stated, being that the “ Shiogon governed but did
not reign, while the Mikado reigned but did not
govern.” When communication between Japan and
the outer world was, after many centuries, re-
established in 1854, the positions of the Mikado and
Shiogon were misunderstood ; the former, it was
supposed, was the spiritual chief, the latter the
temporal; but this, as has been shown, was an
error.

Below the Mikado and Shiogon there were 278
Baimios, or territorial princes, ruling large pro-
vinces with independent and despotic authority,
but they were practically vassals of the Shiogon,
who retained hostages for their fidelity and made
them at certain times reside at Teddo to render
homage. This state of things was that existing in
Europe in the Middle Ages.

Intercourse with Europe was first opened by
the Portuguese in 1542, when three Portuguese
adventurers under the guidance of a Chinaman
first made their appearance, driven by stress of
weather to an unknown coast, and were received
kindly by the Japanese, who interchanged com-
modities with them, and engaged to receive a
Portuguese ship once a year, which agreement

266 PIONEEEING IN THE FAB BAST.

an accident helped to realise. A few years later
a Japanese nobleman, who had fled his conn-
try, found refuge in Goa, where he was baptised,
and eventually induced merchants and priests to
visit Japan. They fitted out a ship with mer-
chandise, and Francois Xavier himself embarked in
it. They were received by the J apanese with open
arms, and were freely permitted to go where they
liked from one end of the empire to the other.

Thus, Francois Xavier introduced the Eoman
Oathoho religion. The ruling princes, however,
soon took alarm; they imagined that the Eomish
religion inculcated allegiance to a foreign Power,
and in 1624 it was interdicted. In 1638 terrible
persecutions were commenced against the Chris-
tians, over 50,000 perished; the Europeans were
expelled, and the ports closed against them. From
this date the Japanese Government maintained the
most rigid policy of isolation; only the Dutch were
permitted to have a prison-like factory at Decima,
being permitted only to visit Jeddo as tribute-
bearers closely guarded by a most vigilant escort.
They were permitted to prostrate themselves
and offer presents before a screen, behind which
the Shiogon and his ladies were supposed to sit,
and to offer humble thanks for the imprisoned
existence which they were permitted to enjoy at
Decima, afterwards performing for the amusement
of the Japanese Court all sorts of antics and tom-
fooleries— dancing, feigning drunkenness, &c.

CHINA AND JAPAN.

267

TMs exclusiveness was maintained till 1854, in
which year the American, Commodore Parry,
steamed into the harbour of Yokohama with a
squadron of the United States war-vessels, and
extorted a treaty from the frightened Shiogon.
The European nations gradually followed the ex-
ample thus set them. In 1868 the Earl of Elgin
concluded a treaty for England.

The Shiogon gave deep offence by signing the
American treaty, and especially for signing it
without the Mikado’s sanction, and for ten years
a policy of assassination and deadly hatred to
foreigners, whom the Grovernment could not protect,
followed. This resulted in the two bombardments
of Kagoshima and Ohioshiu by the English and
combined fleets, which opened the eyes of the
Japanese to the power of the Western nations, and
awoke in their minds an intense desire to raise
their coun-try to an equality with them. A com-
plete revulsion in favour of the despised foreigner
set in, and a desire for a strong government and
the unification of the nation in the hands of the
Mikado, who was urged by the most powerful of
the Daimios to suppress the Shiogonate. The
Shiogon tendered his resignation, but, notwith-
standing, a. coup d’etat appears to have been neces-
sary for the complete extinction of the Shiogon
and his party. This was carried out in the winter
1867-68, and after a short and sharp civil war of
six months’ duration, the Shiogon and his party

268

PIOKBEEINS IN THE FAB EAST.

were defeated, and the Shiogonate became a thing
of the past.

The Daimios then decided upon a grand act of
self-sacrifice, and suppressed themselves; 278 mili-
tary princes, possessing regal powers, vast wealth,
and separate armies, abdicated, from purely patriotic
motives, the station which their families had held
for twenty centuries. Surely, the history of few
nations can show a grander act of patriotism.

As my impressions of Japan were not formed
during my short stay at Nagasaki, I shall not dwell
on my visit here. The town itself does not com-
pare with other cities which I subsequently saw.
The island of Decima, however, — once the prison-
factory of the Portuguese and Dutch — was in-
teresting as a relic of the sufferings which these
poor Dutchmen must have undergone. It was
wonderful to think that nations would consent, for
the sake of two or three ship-loads annually of
Japanese manufactures, to play so humiliating a
part. I pitied the poor Dutchmen who, knowing
themselves surrounded by so interesting a people
and so beautiful a country, had to live in their
midst like caged birds.

On the 28th we again got under way. It had
been raining and was thick, but cleared up for a
moment just as we passed under the rocky island,
Pappenberg, where, in the time of the persecutions,
30,000 Christians are said to have been driven over
the cliffs and perished in the sea. Next morning

CHINA AND JAPAN.

269

we were in the Straits of Simonosaki, the entrance
to the inland sea ; the scenery of this sea has been
compared to Switzerland and to Norwegian fjords.

There may be a resemblance to both, as the hills
and mountains stand up boldly from the shore, and
islands and promontories form many a narrow
strait and pine-clad fjord. As the steamer went
on her way, now through some narrow strait, then
emerging into a great expanse of water, and again
between a maze of islands, the scene was ever
varying ; the villages and towns grouped on the
shore and hill-sides, the lawn-like field in terraces
covering the hills, while boats and junks of novel
form, if not of gaudy colours, enlivened the land-
scape. Two days of steaming amidst such snr- i

roundings brought us to Hiogo, or Kobi ; barely so
prettily situated as Nagasaki, but a larger town.

It is in reality two towns, Kobi being the foreign ;

settlement, Hiogo the native town.

I was somewhat surprised, and rather disgusted,
when landing on what I looked upon as Japan
proper, to find a custom-house and custom-house
officers in uniform ; I had not expected that it had
progressed so far in civilisation. It was clear, how-
however, that the officials had not yet got into the
same practice as their brethren in Europe. They
seemed utterly puzzled what to do with my port-
manteaux, deprecated my opening them, and seemed ■ ,

only anxious to apply a large Government mark
to the outside. They did this with the greatest

. I
ri

270 PIONBBEING IN THE FAB EAST.

care, and seemed to take great delight in the
operation.

A Japanese town is not a very imposing one.
As a rule the streets are narrow and rather mean-
looking; the houses are frameworks of unpainted
wood, the interior divisions consisting of paper
screens movable at pleasure, so that the inner
arrangements can on a moment’s notice be re-
arranged. The houses are, as a rule, only one or
two stories high. Then, the Japanese shops make no
display. The best articles are stored away in back-
rooms out of dust and damp, and are not produced,
except when asked for, and a Japanese shopman or
woman shows no anxiety to sell, though they know
how to ask, leaving a large margin, perhaps 200
to 300 per cent., to bargain for : but if at the end
of a long bargaining you refuse to buy, they are
perfectly pleasant about it.

Shopping is usually a foreigner’s first business in
Japan, but the conveyance which will take him
about, and the sights on the way, require a word of
description.

Having established myself in the very comfortable
hotel at Kobi, I desired, without delay, to view the
town, and asked for a conveyance ; one of the no w well-
known jinrikshas was brought. They had but recently
been introduced, but, with their usual keenness for
new things, the Japanese were introducing them
rapidly, and already hundreds were to be seen about
the streets. This vehicle is a sort of bath-chair or

CHINA AND JAPAN.

271

perambulator, witb a bood, and is drawn by one,
two, or three men, according to distance or speed
required. The men will do forty miles a day, at
the rate of five miles per hour. In this novel mode
of conveyance, I was speeding along the streets of
Hiogo, and, as I have said, they were not imposing,
but rather colourless and unpicturesque, but scrupu-
lously clean, and they presented many novel sights.
First of all there were the people themselves ; here,
too, however, I was disappointed ; the men were
small, thin, and badly made, but there was no
mistaking the intelligence, cheeriness, and kindliness
in their faces. Some were very scantily dressed,
though this was not the rule ; the prevailing tone of
all I saw was simplicity and sombreness of colour,
usually brown. Like other Asiatics, their dress is
loose-fitting, a sort of dressing-gown crossed in front
and secured at the waist with a scarf or ohi, which,
in the case of women, is very wide, long, and of
bright colour, passed twice round the waist, with an
enormous bow behind. The dress is by no means
graceful, and is made less so by the forward bend,
consequent upon the high clogs, made of wood, upon
which they walk. The hair-dressing of the women
is a work of art, a sort of chignon with bows, erect,
and drawn back from the face, fastened up with
large, ornamental pins. The people all looked
pleasant, polite, and orderly ; no beggars were to
be seen, and all were in a hurry. I passed the
theatre, stopped, and got out ; the people were per-

272 PIONBEBING IN THE EAE EAST.

fectly friendly, wittont being rude; a girl handed
round a plate, I put in my coin, and, not seeing
much to interest, continued my drive. Few animals
were seen in the streets, a few stout ponies and
bullocks, shod with straw, were carrying loads.
Coolies were pulling hand-carts, no carriages, but
in every direction jinrikshas were passing me, all
seeming in great haste, and they contained people
of all classes. The jinriksha was evidently not a
conveyance for the aristocratic few only.

I soon came to the conclusion that the picturesque
in Japan must be sought in nature, not in man
or his creations ; still all I saw was interesting, and
what their streets and houses wanted in picturesque-
ness, was made up for in cleanliness. This is illus-
trated by their floor-mats, which form an important
part of a Japanese house ; they are made in squares,
all of one size, and about three inches thick, soft,
white, and beautiful, and the Japanese build their
houses to enclose so many mats. In Japan, there-
fore, no one enters a room with shoes on. One
defect I found, from dear experience, that these
mats possessed, they retained fleas ! which caused
me some sleepless nights in the country.

Being there in summer, I found the houses
sufficiently pleasant, but in winter the paper walls
must be cold, and the movable charcoal stoves
sorry comforters; but the Japanese, like the Chinese,
keep out the cold by drawing one suit of clothes
over another, as many as are needed. Their beds

CHINA AND JAPAN.

273

also are very simple, the bed-olothes consist of
quilted dressing-gowns, and the pillows of wooden
blocks.

The streets through which I drove must have
been from two to three miles long, and were crowded
from end to end. At the end of the town I saw a
large crowd of men and women, the former dressed
in long, yellow robes, the latter in white; it was a
funeral. I followed to the burial place, and saw
the bier, somewhat resembling a sedan chair in
shape. There was a crowd of Buddhist priests
chanting, ringing bells, &c. ; but the air was polluted,
and I hastened away into the green fields beyond.
I took a walk to what is known as the waterfall, a
couple of miles from the town; the weather was
delicious, and the air bracing. The path is cut in
the hill-side, winding in and out ; here and there
small cottages, looking like toy-houses, with little
gardens. In a well-wooded dell I came upon the
fail, a clear leap of water from the rocks above ; it
invited to a bath. Still following the path, I reached
the top of the hills, and had a glorious view of the
country, the town, and its environs.

Having obtained the necessary authorisation and
passport for Kioto, I started the following day with
a friend, in a small steamer, for Osaka. The sea
was smooth as a pond, and covered with junks and
fishing-boats, and many small steamers crowded
with passengers. The shore was thickly dotted
with villages and houses; I felt that I was in a

274

PIONEBEING IN THE PAR EAST.

great's populous empire. In two hours and a
half we reached the river leading to Osaka. The
crowd of shipping thickened as we neared the place,
already the junks lined the banks two and three
deep, and the small passenger steamers passed us in
quick succession.

Osaka is the commercial capital of Japan, Hiogo
being the shipping-port. It is the Japanese Venice,
being intersected by thirteen rivers and canals,
spanned by several hundred bridges. Thousands of
boats float on the waters, and the Daimios’ residences
border the rivers for two or three miles. There was
great stir in the town, for the Mikado was expected
on the morrow. Our little steamer, having at last,
with great diflBculty, safely got through the maze
of shipping and alongside the quay, we speedily
obtained jinrikshas, and through the densely crowded
streets, reached Jote’s hotel. Jote is a Japanese,
but he keeps an hotel furnished somewhat upon
European principles. The building is on the banks
of the river, of wood, and two-storied ; built in a
quadrangle, with a garden in the centre, an open
gallery running round the upper story, upon which
opened the bed-rooms and sitting-rooms. In the
latter, the dinner-tables were laid out in European
style, but they all seemed empty, except one in
which three Japanese ladies were sitting. They
invited us to enter, and entertained us with tea, and
subsequently performed on the guitar. W e learned
that they belonged to the class of Lnded gentry, and

CHINA AND JAPAN.

275

were on a visit to town. The husbands subsequently-
turned up, and joined us at dinner, delighting us
with the courtesy and friendliness of their manners.

From the balcony, over the canal, we looked
down upon the constantly passing pleasure-boats,
containing merry parties, singing, playing, and
drinking tea, and evidently enjoying themselves.

The Japanese are a pleasure-loving people, and,
though they are far from being idle, seem to take
life easy.

As the Kioto exhibition would only be kepi open
a few days, my friend and I determined to press on
the same afternoon, and at 7 p.m. we started in a
large, covered boat, poled by six men. It was
getting dark, and the canals, lit up by the lights and
lanterns of thousands of boats, had a striking ap-
pearance. Gay as Osaka had been during the day,
the merriment going on in the boats passing us on
every side had greatly increased. The long rows
of the Daimios’ residences looked imposing in the
uncertain light ; there seemed to be no end to the
city, and before we had emerged from it I was fast
asleep. Now and again I woke during the night,
when called upon to show our passports, which
happened two or three times, and I then found our
men working away with unabated energy, now
poling, now towing from the shore, but always
accompanying their labours with mirth and song.

It took us twelve hours to reach the place where we
had to disembark, and where jinrikshas were in

' I

, I

I '

276

PIONEEEING IN THE FAlt EAST.

■waiting for us, whicb, at a rapid pace, brought us
along the seven miles of road which we still had to
do before reaching Kioto. Houses lined the road
almost the entire distance, and crowds of people
moved upon it ; but though Europeans were then a
new sight here, no uncivil words or gesture were
heard or seen. The men bowed low, and the
women gave us a pleasant greeting, with the con-
stant call of “ Ohaio ” (G-ood-morning). Yet it was
only three years since Sir Harry Parkes was attacked,
and one of his escort cut down, in the streets of
Kioto.

We rested at several tea-houses on the road-side.
They were usually small, open to the front, with a
raised platform on one side and a kitchen on the
other ; to this platform the traveller is at once
conducted, to have his soiled shoes removed before
stepping upon the matting. tTsually, there are a
couple of rooms at the back, but all the work and
life goes on in the open part. At intervals we
came upon large bright-looking tea-houses with
numerous attendants, gay with flags and lanterns,
rows of charcoal-stoves, numerous small lacquered
tables, bright polished copper kettles and utensils,
tanks with live fish, which are served up at a
moment’s notice, and, in many instances, gardens
with flowers and fountains. The stream of passing
travellers was unceasing, on foot, in jinrikshas, in
congoes — a sort of hammock slung upon a pole
carried by two men— and pack-horses with straw

Wi

CHINA AKD JAPAN. 277

shoes and high saddles, &c. The crowd gradually
became denser, the houses and shops larger, and
presently we came in sight of noble avenues, grand
flights of granite steps, and magnificent temples.
It was Kioto, the sacred city of Japan ; the town
in which the Mikado had been enshrined and kept
from the eyes of the outer world. If Osaka is the
city of commerce, Kioto the Japanese claim to be
the city of art, beauty, sanctity, and gaiety.

And who that for the first time looked down
upon its temples, groves, and gardens, could deny
its claim to be a thing of beauty, where nature and
art seemed to have vied with each other ?

On a nearer approach we found that, hidden by
this circle of beauty and grandeur, were long nar-
row streets, through which our now panting men
bowled us along, and finally stopped at the foot of
a magnificent flight of steps. They led to a temple,
and in some of the buildings belonging to it we
were to be lodged. Mr. Jote, our Osaka host, had,
during the exhibition, established a temporary hotel,
and we found that our accommodation had been
most comfortably provided for. We were hungry,
and I well remember with what relish I sat down
to a delicious salmon-trout, from Lake Bima, a fish
I had not tasted for many years.

Hitherto no Europeans, except a few privileged
officials, had been admitted to Kioto; we were,
therefore, on new, as well as interesting ground.
Besides ourselves, one Bnghsh visitor was lodged in

278 pioneering in the ear east.

the hotel. He was a merchant from Tokohama,
long resident in the country, and we benefited
much from his experience.

I soon found that it was no misnomer to call
Kioto a city of temples; they encircled the town,
and the wonderful and imposing effect of endless
flights of granite steps some thirty feet wide, and
of avenues of superb maple, fir, oak, and other trees,
gave a stately and impressive appearance to the
place.

What a change must have come over the people
since these temples were built ! They must have
been the product of great religious enthusiasm, and
now they stood apparently neglected ; one of them
was our hotel, three others were turned into
exhibition buildings.

These temples have been so fully described by
others, that I do not purpose to dwell upon details
at length, but a few words touching them and the
religion of Japan would seem necessary.

Japan has two religions, Shintooism and Buddhism ;
the former is the ancient religion of the country,
and the chief object of its worship is the great sun-
goddess ; but there are numerous minor deities, the
Mikado, who is considered the direct descendant ol
the goddess, being the first in the hierarchy. The
Japanese Pantheon is very large, as numbers of
distinguished Japanese, who have deserved well of
their country in war or peace, are canonised after
death and become patron saints, to whom shrines

omifA AND Japan.

279

are dedicated. This religion inculcates some pure
moral principles -which, if adhered to, would lead to
abstention from all that is impure; it also com-
mends outward religious observances and pilgrim-
ages. The form of worship is simple, consisting in
prayers, almsgiving and penances. On one occasion
I disturbed an old woman in a Shintoo temple. She
was, according to our interpreter, to walk a certain
number of times round the temple in silence, in
which my presence disturbed her.

Buddhism is comparatively modern in Japan, and
was introduced from China ; it has to a great extent
assimilated itself with the older religion. There is
nothing in the rites of either to offend the eyes of
the Christian ; in fact, there is much in the Bud-
dhist rites resembling those of the Roman Catholic
religion. There are candles and burning of incense,
ringing of bells, altars attended by long-robed
priests, multitudes at prayer, who are telling their
beads, bowing, and raising hands. In many cases
this is done with reverence and evident sincerity,
though this is not the rule, for the Japanese cannot
be called a religious people.

The temples are picturesque, made more so by their
surroundings. The most striking feature is the
roof, which is of great size and weight, altogether
out of proportion to the building. It has a great
sweep or curve, and consists in many cases of
several frames elevated one above the other and in
diminishing sizes, thus forming several breaks in

280 HONEBEISG IN THE EAB BAST.

the roof, which is covered with ornamental tiles, in
some cases even, with gilded metal plates : the pil-
lars and walls carrying the roof are of wood, often
beautifully carved and gilt. As a rule there is an
outer temple, open and unmatted, where the noisy
crowd congregates, and where traffic is carried on
in all sorts of curious articles, books, prints,
amulets, &o. This leads to the inner temple
beyond which, again, is the most sacred part, where
— amidst lighted candles, incense burning, and all
kinds of idols, instruments, and cymbals — the
yellow-robed priests are performing their rites.
In many cases the temples form but a centre of
public amusements, and a gay and careless crowd
may be seen surging around them.

The day after my arrival I sallied out with my
interpreter, to visit the exhibitions. These, as
already stated, were held in three temples in different
parts of the city ; the first, the temple of Chooing,
contained arms, ancient armours, silk stuffs, and
raw materials. The other two, Hongange and
Henningen, contained china, lacquered ware, bronzes,
crockery, embroidered tapestry, birds, fish, &o. ;
amongst the latter, a large salamander from Lake
Bima. There were many beautiful things in this
exhibition, but the best were not for sale, they
belonged to princes and nobles. I made a few
purchases, but was not happy in my selections ; my
silks were pronounced too heavy for use in England.
A silver table-ornament I found out was not silver,

CHINA AND JAPAN.

281

luckily in time to compel the vendor to return the
money. My last purchase, however, was a triumph ;
it was some pottery of a very unique and grotesque
design ; in fact, a monkey riding upon a frog. My
acquaintance, the Yokohama merchant, who was a
great collector of china and pottery, at once declared
it to be a treasure, and, with some reluctance, I
made an exchange with him ; but the sequel was not
happy. When, some time after, I dined with him
at Yokohama, I admired his beautiful collection,
but missed the frog, and upon inquiry found that it
had turned out to be an imposture, having, in fact,
been imported from France.

Having done the exhibition, one of the officials
there invited us to a tea-house, on the hill of Maru-
yama, from which an extensive view is obtained
over Kioto and its sui-roundings, as far as Osaka.
In a neighbouring tea-house 200 dancing-girls were
being entertained at the expense of the Government,
which had sent them up to see the exhibition.
They were all very young, dressed in flowery robes
and gay obis ; but the extravagant painting of the
faces and lips, made the poor young creatures look
anything but charming.

On the morning of the 6th a notice was sent us
by the authorities, that the Mikado was expected
during the day, and requesting us not to drive in
the streets; but our friend the merchant, whose
interpreter was a Japanese of rank, procured a pass
permitting us to drive through the bye-streets, and

282 tlONBEElNS IN THE FAE BAST.

we drove out to see the grounds where the Mikados
are buried. The streets, always tidy and neat, had
evidently undergone extra-cleaning, and large paper
lamps had been hung out on either side; they were
comparatively empty, and business suspended, and
even of jinrikshas there were none to be seen.
Once a policeman stopped us, but on seeing the
pass, allowed us to proceed. We were soon in the
country, which, but for the bamboo plantations,
and other vegetation of a southern clime, might
have been some fair part of England. Presently
we came to a broad, stately avenue, fully half a
mile long, running through a park. Here and there
were clusters of picturesque houses and tea-gardens,
beautiful lawns, and groves. Under one of these
we lay down, and allowed our men to rest ; for the
sun was hot, though the air was pure and bracing.
The park was very extensive, and the temples
numerous, some of them having monastic cells
attached to them. Having walked about for
some time, we again got into our carriages. After
a while we came to similar, and still prettier scenes ,
for here were clear streams meandering, now in
their natural beds, now in stone-lined aqueducts
with high-arched bridges. It was the very place
for a picnic, and we were loth to leave it, but we
had to return to Osaka in the evening.

After dinner we got into our boat, which, by a
narrow, shallow canal, was to take us to the larger
boat on the main river, and were carried down by a

CHINA AND JAPAlJ.

283

rapid current, an admiring multitude witnessing our
descent, for the people were crowding by thousands
to witness the expected arrival of the Mikado.

Even the bridges under which we drifted were
thickly covered with heads and umbrellas. I was
greatly impressed by the enormous crowd which
lined the banks, it was something like what might
be seen in London on a Lord Mayor’s day. Now,
as our boat was almost the only one moving down,
the course having been cleared for the expected
Mikado, it spoke well for the orderly conduct of the
people that we were allowed to pass between them
without any rude words or gesture ; on the contrary,
we had a good deal of fun in exchanging salutations
with the good people, our “ Ohaio ” (Giood-morning),
or “ Sajanara,” (Good-day), being pleasantly re-
sponded to. Gradually we got into the country, and,
instead of houses, we now had paddy-fields on either
side of us. It was very pleasant, but took us longer
than we expected, and it was 11 before we arrived
at the town on the main river, where the other
boat had awaited us. We dined here, on provisions
which we h.ad brought ; we then got into a fine ’ _

boat with a large house, in which our beds had
been got ready, and I was soon fast asleep, nor
woke till broad daylight, about 5 o’clock next
morning. We then obtained a fair view of Osaka,
now all bustle and activity.

We arrived at our hotel at 7 a.m., and after
breakfast drove out to see the town, miles of streets ||i

284

PIONBEEIlfG IN THE EAR EAST.

intersecting each other at right angles, the usual
wonderful tidiness and cleanliness everywhere.
There was also evidence of the rage which had
taken possession of the people for imitating Euro-
peans ; not only were there fleets of steamers, and
Japanese in European dress and uniforms, race-
courses, and shooting-alleys, but even then I was
not prepared, in these narrow, crowded streets, to
meet numbers of young Japanese bowling through
the crowd on bicycles, a machine which I, as yet,
had never seen ! for they had not yet reached the
East.

We were on our way to see the Oastle, an exten-
sive and formidable place, built of huge blocks of
granite, with a deep and broad moat similarly lined.
We entered the outer gate ; the sentries, in white
undress uniform, with French caps and sword-
bayonets fixed, directed us to the guard-house, and
we had to wait here till permission to see the Oastle
was obtained, which, after long waiting, we did not
get. We were impressed, however, with what we
saw. Strange to say, there appeared to be no
guns ; we were told they had all been removed, and
sawn in two. The Government seemed to feel
secure as against foreigners, but not as to their own
countrymen, and wanted to make sure that these
guns should not fall into their hands. It was not,
indeed, wonderful that while such stupendous
changes were going on, the Government should
fear opposition.

CHINA AND JAPAN.

285

We left Osaka by one of the small Japanese
steamers, at 9 a.m. on the 7th. T now spent some
days in making excursions in the environs of Hiogo,
amongst them was one to the village of Arima.

At 5 p.M. on the 12th the ponies were at the
door in charge of two guides, or hettoes. I selected
a strong large animal which, with the exception of
a hard mouth, proved an excellent beast. The
Japanese pony is large and serviceable, but rather
awkward-looking. After clearing the town, the
road led up a narrow gorge between high hills. A
watercourse which had cut a deep bed in the
ravine supplied power for a number of water-
wheels which were working rice-mills. Grradually
we ascended the hills by a winding path, till at
last we reached the highest point, about 2,000 feet
above the sea. Our path was good and hard;
the innumerable mountain peaks reared their
sandy slopes out of the fresh green vegetation
in the hollows, which occasionally ended in lovely
valleys reaching down to the plain below, covered
with villages, groves, and paddy-fields ; beyond was
the sea with numerous steamers and ships ; and
further on still the opposite coast. The shrubs on
either side of our path covered with well-known
fl.owers — the wild rose, the honeysuckle, the helio-
trope, and numerous varieties of lilies, and between
them the dwarfed mountain-firs, wild raspberries,
&c. Our path was often only wide enough for
the pony to pass, and we looked down into the

28 ri

PrONEBRIJ^G IN THE PAB EAST.

vallejs on eitlier side. Gradually we again de-
scended, the sandy hills came to an end, and we
were amongst farm-houses, bamboo-groves, and
fields. The men and women were working in them,
the children were playing about in great numbers,
(by-the-way, I never saw anyone crying in Japan).
After a ride of about eight miles, we stopped at a
house to rest the ponies after their hard climb. The
people were obliging and not curious; they offered
us tea, and we bought some peaches, which are
abundant here, but not very good. It was now
seven o’clock, and was getting dark, but by the light
of the young moon we groped our way amongst the
bamboo-groves. Bamboo is much cultivated here,
being used for the great industry of basketwork
peculiar to Arima. The last part of the road was
one continued and steep descent, and at 9 o’clock
we were in the village of Arima. The narrow lanes
looked strange in the uncertain moonlight ; none
of the streets were more than a few yards wide,
though the houses on either side were two and three
stories high. The noise of the horses’ hoofs upon
the stone pavement brought the people to the
balconies, and they were eagerly looking out to
ascertain who the strangers were. Our guides
inquired for lodgings, and we were finally put up
in an old temple, which, as usual, had a small court
in front with the inevitable rockery, flowers, and
toy-fountains in which the Japanese so delight.
On this occasion our hosts, to show off their

CHINA AND JAPAN.

287

gardens to the greatest advantage, put candles in
different parts of them.

We felt now quite ready to do justice to a dinner,
having ridden fifteen miles, but unfortunately the
provender of the landlady of our hotel had left Kobi
with ourselves, and could not be expected for some
hours ; meanwhile we had some small cups of the
somewhat unsatisfactory Japanese tea, and the time
passed in conversation with the natives conducted
through our interpreter. But the hours passed,
and as no supplies came, I had eventually to retire
without my dinner.

The next day was employed in examining the
town, its shops and industries. This is the great
seat of the world-renowned basketwork, and the
shops were mostly filled with samples, and with the
paint-brushes with which the Japanese beauties
adorn themselves. We saw the people at their
work, also in their bath-houses, the peculiar insti-
tution of Japan, which open to the street, and where
men and women go in promiscuously and think
nothing of it. A separate bath was offered us, but
we preferred to take it more privately. Having
made a few purchases, and seen the sights, we left
at 1 P.M., and by a different and, if possible, more
lovely and picturesque road than yesterday, we
reached the hotel at Kobi by half-past four, in
good time for dinner.

As I was standing, towards sunset, outside the
hotel, a strange thing happened, very illustrative of

288 PIONEERING TN THE EAR EAST.

the theu condition of Japnn. A larp Japanese
stean.er came in, and when in the harbonn the
engineer, a Japanese, could not stop the ■

They appeared all to have lost their heads, or they
could have turned her and stood out again ; but to
our amazement, instead of doing this, they ran^ her
at full speed on shore, and there she remained.
The captain, engineer, and ofacers bolted. ^

On the following day we paid a second visit o
Osaka, seeing more sights ; and ascended to the top
of a pagoda, from whence a bird’s-eye view of the
city was obtained, which showed it to be of immense
extent, and in every part intersected with can^s,
spanned, it was said, by 325 large bridges We
subsequently visited the theatre. Seven girs were
on the stage; one, who apparently acted the part

of Queen, was the object of a sort of slow dance
done to rather monotonous music. Their costumes
were very ample and rich, and their coi^ures were

a marvel.

The Kioto exhibition is now over, and we are
preparing for our voyage to Yokohama and Jeddo.

I had taken passage in the steamer Gosta Bica,
and having taken a last drive through the town,
went on board at 4 p.m. on the 18th. I found a
great many first-class Japanese passengers and
many Europeans ; in fact, the boat was full. I was;
much struck by the quiet, gentlemanly manners of
the Japanese. Some of them were of high rank,
amongst others the Governor of Osaka; most of them

CHINA AND JAPAN.

289

were dressed in European clothes, using fork and
knife at table, and taking their wine, beer, and
champagne with the best of us. The ™
smooth, and I enjoyed the beautiful scene^ as we
steamed out of the harbour of Hiogo. But the
heat was now getting very great; it was 93

tillO sll3id©» i.'Lrv

We anchored ofi Yokohama at 7 A.M. on the 20th
July. A fellow-passenger obtained rooms for ns at

*** Of Yokohama I shall say little ; it
getting Bnropeanised. The blnfi upon which the
Inropean residences were built was the most pro-
uiinent feature of the place. It had beautiful dnires
Tnd a ftne botanical garden, where it was pleasant

‘“ThrSpanese delight in gardens and flowers, as
well they may, for there are few oountnes, i any,

which pLuoe such a variety of
flowers The traveller is surprised a,nd delighted
to find here, intermixed, plants usually
Ih colder or warmer latitudes. He finds the fir
pine, oak, maple, elm ohesuut, and cedar mixed
with the oryptomaria, camellia, pomegran ,
bamboo, and palm, while endless ““

rhododendron, asalea, hydrangea, wmtam, ™.
and lily are mingled with the honeysuckle, ivy,

marigold, buttercup, and thistle.

T^gh passionately fond of gardening, the
Jap^el^ are not content to let nature alone. They

290 PIONEBEING IN TH® BAST.

prune, trim, dwarf, and exaggerate their shrubs,
which are twisted and turned into all sorts of odd
forms— animals, birds, boats, houses, &c.— whde
trees of the largest species are dwarfed into the
most diminutiTe dimensions. These Lilliputian
trees, waterfalls, fountains, bridges, and rockeries,
are very curious ; they might seem rather trivial m
other countries, but somehow they seem to fit in
with the Japanese character, which is in many
respects cliild-like, if frivolous.

On the 25th we left for Jeddo. The railway
being finished within two miles of the city, we
intended to have gone by it, but some delay
occurred and we resolved to take a carriage,
which, as enabling us to see the country, was far
better. It was an open car with a driver’s seat, and
two side-seats behind. We had with us a cook and
an interpreter, and were therefore to some extent in-
dependent of hotels. The driver was an American-
Irishman, and we had a pair of spirited ponies.
The entire distance to Jeddo, which is about twenty
miles, was, with few exceptions, one continuous
street. The road, the so-called Tocaido, was ex-
cellent, and in many places lined with trees. We
followed the sea, but every now and then the road
took a turn inland. The country was most pleasing,
and the road alive with people on foot, in congoes,
on horseback, but above all in jinrikshas. There
were also a good many carriages, some of curious
shape, occupied and driven by Japanese. One man,

CHINA AND JAPAN,

291

I noticed, drove a pair of restive ponies witli one
hand, holding an umbrella with the other — “a
Japanese is not happy without his umbrella.”
There are three large townships between Yokohama
and Jeddo — Kanagawa, Kawasaki, and Sinagawa.
After leaving Yokohama, Kanagawa is entered by
a long and very steep hill, so steep that many
accidents happen here. We, being unaware of the
steepness and extent of the hill, remained in our
seats, and our driver, a rather ruffianly fellow, who
I suspect knew more about gold-digging than
driving, gave us no hint to get out. The poor
ponies struggled for footing on the pavement, the
driver and his native assistant lashing them and
shouting ; but after vain efforts the ponies stopped,
the whip failed to urge them on, and the carriage
began a backward movement, luckily getting into a
deep gutter, which stopped its further descent, and
the empty carriage eventually reached the top of
the hill. We halted at three tea-houses by the
way, full of gay and laughing people ; but in one of
these about a year ago a very different scene took
place. A party of gentlemen with one lady rode
out of Yokohama along this road. When near this
tea-house they met a Daimio with a party of armed
retainers. The Europeans were too much in the
proud prince’s way; he gave a sign to clear the
road, and in a moment one gentleman, Mr. Richard-
son, was cut down and several others wounded.
The lady turned her horse, and saved herself by a

292

PiONEBBlNG IN THE FAU EAST.

furious and gallant ride. I W tea from the joung
woman who took charge of poor Bmhardson, and

nursed him kindly, though in vain.

M last we passed a point in the street, where
our interpreter informed us that Jeddo began.
Before entering it, however. I must record an
amusing incident on the road. A man was riding
close behind our carriage with a number of small
baskets filled with peaches; now and again one
fell out. We laughed, and, through the interpreter,
told him he had better throw them to us. He
laughingly shook his head, but the peaches still
continued to drop; his pony was spirited, and his
efforts to mend matters made it worse. Coming
out at first one by one, they now came by twos
and threes; at last he got so exasperated that he
shook out the entire contents into the road. We
laughed and cheered, as did the other people on the
road. While we cheered, he passed the carriage
at a furious gallop, laughing heartily, however, as
he waved the empty baskets.

In one place we crossed the river on a ferry-boat,
carriage and all, which was very well managed, and

finally entered Jeddo. _

There was nothing to indicate that we had entered
the largest city in the East ; in fact, as we after-
wards found, the city was. as far as the appearances
of the houses went, mean-looking, far inferior to
Osaka, and there were large open spaces in it; this
was in part due to the dreadful fire which devastated

CHINA AND JAPAN.

293

it some months previous, partly to the fact that the
feudatory princes and nobles, who were formerly
bound to live at Jeddo with thousands of their
retainers part of the year, did so no longer ; so that
beside the devastation of the fire, many of the resi-
dences of these nobles had been pulled down, or
allowed to go to ruin ; in fact, Jeddo was in a state
of transition. There were the telegraph-posts along
the streets, and in the middle of the city a large
railway station was finished; the old narrow streets
had given way to broad ones. Where but a little
while ago everything had reminded one of feudal
and ofl&cial Japan, there were to be seen instead of
stately processions of nobles and princes, only the
jinrikshas, young Japanese in European costumes
and uniforms, policemen in blue costumes with red
shoulder-straps and rather grotesque cocked hats;
but, for all that, it was still Japan that we saw about
us. Jeddo was imposing from its size. One could
drive for miles, and be still in Jeddo ; as far as
one could see along the stoeets, there was teem-
ing, busy population. If we had seen jinrikshas
on the road by hundreds, we now saw them by
thousands, passing us, crossing us, running into
us, and being run into, and it was reserved for us
to do the latter. We were in the heart of the
city, driving up the main street, when I heard a
crash and a shout, and saw a rush of people towards
our carriage. We had driven over a jinriksha.
I jumped out; there, between the hind-legs of the

294 PIONEBBING IN THE EAB EAST.

ponies and tlie front wheels of the carriage, was the
iinriksha, broken to pieces, and close by lay a man,
stunned, perhaps dead, or at least_ with broken
limbs, I could not tell which, but it seemed im-
possible that he could have escaped unhurt. By
this time large crowds were gathering, and our
position was not a pleasant one. The man evidently
belonged to the higher class, and had a fine gol
watch; he was bruised and bleeding, but appeared
to have broken no limbs, and to my anxious inquiries
through the interpreter, he returned frien y
gestures. Meanwhile the police had come up, and
wanted the driver’s name and address— they did not
appear to hold us at all responsible— but the Irish-
man was obdurate and refused to answer inquiries.
We, however, insisted; and, their demand complied
with, we were allowed to pass on, much to our
satisfaction: I must say the Japanese behaved like
gentlemen.

We were told that the European hotel was burned
down, and directed the interpreter to take us to a
Japanese inn. The first at which we called was
crowded, and the second not quite to our taste,
but we had to put up with it, and found among the
lodgers four young Japanese gentlemen who had
been at some school, could speak a little English,
and gave us much useful information. Having
brought our cook and supplies, we were independent
of hotel fare. No objection was taken to this, and,
looking at the rather doubtful messes served up

CHINA AND JAPAN.

295

for our fellow-lodgers, we were not sorry to cater
for ourselves.

Having fortified ourselves with a good breakfast,
we issued forth to see the city. Our first excursion
was to “ Atango,” a temple situated on a height
from which a fine view is obtained of Jeddo, the
harbour and surrounding country. A steep flight
of ninety steps led to the grounds in which the i

temple stands. It was somewhat of a climb-, but
worth the trouble ; we had the great city and |

surrounding country spread out before us. The
most conspicuous object was the castle, where the
Shiogun used to live, but where the Mikado now re-
sided ; with its triple line of moats, and the Daimios’
residences (yamashs), it occupied a vast extent of
ground. Endless lines of streets covered the great
valley, broken here and there by undulating hills,
gardens, and woods ; while on the other side the bay
was seen between headlands and islands, a smooth |

and placid water, secure against the waves of the
Pacific, and also, on account of its shallowness,
secure against an enemy’s ships. As usual, there
were tea-houses and booths in the gardens, which
were thronged, and what we saw only served to
excite our curiosity to see more of the great city.

But it was getting late, and we deferred further
sight-seeing till to-morrow, and drove back to the
inn; not, however, to enjoy unbroken sleep, as
mosquitoes and fleas prevented it.

At 7 A.M. we were in our jinrikshas, and started

296

PION EBBING IN THE EAR EAST.

with oar cook, interpreter, and proyender, so as to
be unimpeded in our movements, passing through
miles of streets, which, however, varied but little
from those seen at Hiogo and Yokohama, but were
on a larger scale. The amasing fact was the extent
of the city, and its endless crowds. As I looked at
them, the thought came over me that this Japinrae
world, for so many centuries shut up withm itself,
could not have been an unhappy one, for I never
saw more cheerfulness, nor less apparent poverty
and want; of be^ars. there were none to be seen.
Every now and then the change arising troni
contact with the enter world was made apparent
by some passing Japanese in European dress, and
it made me wonder whether the new civilisation
would become them as ill as did the tail-coat and
tight-fitting trousers.

We at last stopped before an imposing gateway,
and from the noise and frivolities of the busy street
found ourselves transferred to silent groves, stately
avenues, gardens, and park-like _ grounds, which
surrounded the temples of “ Shiba,” the burial-
place of the Shioguns. Passing through six succes-
sive courts, each containing temples, we reached
the three innermost. The wonderful artificers of
old Japan had here wrought shrines of great
magnificence and beauty, in grand proportions and
picturesque outlines, in ebony, ivory, purple, and
gold-carving of marvellous depth and beauty, mas-
sive gold-plating, cunningly chased, and of enormous

CHINA AND Japan.

297

value. Beyond these, again, was a great bronze
monument, which covered the six tombs of the
Shioguns who lie buried here. For hours we
wandered from temple to temple, admiring and
enjoying the beauty of the magnificent varieties of
shrubs, flowers, and trees, which only Japan can
offer, and feeling something like pity for the
Buddhist priests and monks, who for centuries had
been in undisturbed possession, but who, as the
now partly-emptied cloisters showed us, were being
dispossessed.

Monastic quiet is not, however, the rule in
Japanese temples. The next one we visited was
“ Asaxa,” one of the most celebrated in Jeddo ; but
it was more like a fair, museum, theatre and tea-
garden — in fact, a place of amusement of every
description than a temple. The fine avenue which
led from the outer to the inner gate was full of
booths and stalls, exposing wares the most pro-
miscuous — toys, trinkets, books, maps, pictures, &c.
— and in the grounds, beautiful as usual, all sorts
of amusements were going on. Here young
Japanese were trying their skill at archery, at
other places jugglers were performing; again,
crowds surrounded the theatre, and but few, I
think, were bent upon devotion. As for the temple
itself, it was but a repetition of others. The in-
congruous collection of sacred and profane things,
of figures — such as are seen at Madame Tussaud’s
— of pictures, including those of famous courtesans,

298 HOKEBEIHG IK THE FAE EAST.

of hideous idols, and a thousand trifles which it
would be difficult to name ; but in the gardens one
ever found bgw bGauties.

At noon we reached the “Yenno” temple;
these beautiful and extensive parks had five years
previously been the battle-field of the Shioguns’ and
Mikados’ opposing forces, and there were still marks

of destruction amongst the trees.

We were now fatigued and hungry and entere
the nearest Japanese house, asking peimission to
cook and rest, which was gladly granted us,
and we remained here a couple of hours. Subse-
quently we saw the “Meodjen” temple and the
castle, a citadel of vast extent, with massive gate-
ways, walls, moats, and bastions; there were three
lines of defences, the Mikado’s palaces and gardens
being in the centre. It must be admitted that
there is grandeur, and at the same time simplicity,
about all the public establishments in Japan, and
one could hardly help feeling regret that the pecu-
liar civilisation which had produced all this was
vanishing. Even as I looked at the old castle,
hitherto guarded by men in medimval costumes, a
squadron of cavalry appointed after the latest
European pattern passed by.

Marvellously interesting as were all these novel
sights, I soon found that even Jeddo became
wearisome at last, and having laboured diligently
for three days we took rail to Yokohama.

A few days later we made another excursion ;

OHIHA AND JAPAN.

299

there were three of us, and we were mounted on
stout ponies and had hettoes, or grooms, to lead us.
Our destination was “Enoshima,” a small peninsula
which in summer is a very popular resort of the
Japanese. After passing a few miles beyond Yoko-
hama our guides were at fault as to the road,
and led us into soft paddy-fields where our ponies
floundered and finally came down. Both my com-
panions got bad spills, and one, rather corpulent,
was almost buried in the mud. As he was unfor-
tunately dressed in light clothing, he looked in a most
deplorable condition. What was to be done? we
could not go on, and to return through the streets
of Yokohama was not to be thought of. I had
foi’tunately escaped with little damage, and it was
eventually resolved that I should return to town
for change of clothing and a new guide, while my
friends performed their ablutions in a farm-house
close by. Eventually we made a fresh start ; and
our road lay along the sea-coast, through picturesque
lanes and between farm-houses and gardens. At
one of the villages the people were scraping oysters,
of which they offered us some, and were with diffi-
culty persuaded to receive payment. We met
crowds of pilgrims dressed entirely in white and
carrying small bells; they had been at Eusiyama,
which at this time of the year is much visited by
them. We passed through the villages of “Makaia,”
" Kanesawa,” and “ Kamakura,” stopping at the tea-
houses, which, as well as the roads, were crowded.

300 PIONBEEING IN THE FAB BilST.

Everywliere cheerfulBess and merry-making pre-
vailed. At about 3 P.M. we saw the great Dia-boos,
a bronze statue of Buddha in the usual sitting and
contemplative attitude; it is sixty feet high, and is
surrounded by groves of trees. The idol is several
hundred years old. Our next stoppage was at
“ Katuza,” and then we again got on the sea-shore
and rode along the beach to our destination,^ “ Eno-
zima,” a rocky promontory connected with the
mainland by a narrow sandy spit; both on the rock
and the mainland are large villages. We meant to
have proceeded at once to the former place, but as
we passed the tea-house about a dozen damsels
surrounded our horses and fairly took charge of us;
so we had refreshments and the horses were put up.
We then walked on to the peninsula, a most pic-
turesque place. We entered caverns, wandered
through beautiful gardens and groves, bought all
sorts of curiosities made of sea-shells, and finally
returned to our tea-house on the mainland, where
we had an excellent Japanese fish dinner.

Next morning we returned to Yokohama along
the “ Tokaido,” the beautiful high-road which runs
through the entire length of ^'Nipon, and which
presented a most animating and gay appearance,
yy Q arrived at Yokohama at 2 P.M. , having ridden
forty-two miles and enjoyed the trip exceedingly.
This was my last excursion in Japan.

Like, probably, all travellers in Japan, I had been
delighted with the country, but astonished at the

CHIKA AND JAPAN.

301

rapidity with which the ruling classes of this old and
exclusive empire had divested themselves of their
old ways and habits, and the docility with which
the people submitted to it. Not handsome, the
Japanese are yet a highly pleasing and interesting
race ; clever and quick, but, as I have said, seemingly
wanting in solidity. I did not then believe in the
undisturbed progress of the new state of things ;
but, happily, time is rolling on, and the Japanese are
still progressing and apparently consolidating, a
spectacle that cannot but affect their mighty
neighbour China.

302

PIONBEBING IN THE PAR BAST.

CHAPTER Till.

OALTPORNIA REVISITED,

Mt stay in Japan tad now come to an end, and
I took my passage in tte Pacific Company s mail-
steamer Al<islca for California.

On tke 8tli August I went on board tlie Alaska-,
it was a fine clear day, a fresli southerly wind was
blowing, and there was a moderate sea, through
which the huge ship ploughed her way without any
perceptible motion. I had twice before, in 1850,
crossed the Pacific, but under very different con-
ditions. Fi’om the shores of Japan to California I
had then taken fifty days, and we had had a rough
time of it; now I was to cross it again, but in a
ship of nearly 5,000 tons burthen, and which seemed
more like a floating island than a ship. She
could carry some 1,200 passengers, and the four
or five hundred now on board found, therefore,
ample room.

Among the cabin passengers were one Chinese
and seven Japanese gentlemen ; the former (Lai

OALIFOKNIA REVISITED

Soon, I tliink, was Hs name) had been educated
in America, and had taken honours at Harvard
University; he was now going on a mission for the
Government of Pekin, to arrange for the education
of forty Chinese youths in America. He was
wonderfully well informed, and I spent many
interesting hours on deck in conversation with him.
We used to speak of the Japanese and the
wonderful strides they are making. I remember
asking him why his countrymen did not imitate
the Japanese. “ Ah [ ” he said, “they go much too
fast, and allow themselves to be cheated by
European adventurers; we shall move, but more
slowly and surely and trust more to ourselves.”
“Yes,” I said, “but you can’t get on without
European instructors.” “ True,” he answei’ed,
“ and we do not object to be instructed, but there
are those amongst them who would fain govern us
altogether. There is Mr. Lay, for instance, he
would fain act the part in China which Lord Clive
played in India,” &o.

There was a good deal of conceit in all this, yet
I think he was not far wrong in his estimate of his
countrymen as compared with the Japanese. The
latter are more sensitive, impulsive, and brilliant ;
but the Chinaman, though slower, has probably
more solid qualities.

It was wonderful, however, to notice the applica-
tion to study during the whole voyage displayed by
the seven young Japanese on board. They were

304 PIONBEEING IN THE EAB BAST.

all of noble birtb, two of them princes; none of
them could then speak English. A few months later
I met one of them in London, and was surprise
when he spoke to me in very fair English.

A voyage across the Pacific is, perhaps, mono
tonous, but I found it delicious. The weather was
fine, clear and bracing. Day by day the huge beam
engines propelled us through the sea at a uniform
speed of nine to ten miles per hour. Looking at
the ceaseless labour of the complicated machinery
which goes to make up such colossal engines ; it
seemed an anxious thought, that if they broke down
in mid-ocean — over 2,000 miles from either shore
the great vessel would remain practically helpless.

For a distance of over 4,000 miles we saw
nothing but sea and sky, bird and fish, save on one
occasion when we met the steam-ship America,
belonging also to the Pacific Steam-ship Company,
and received mails from her. The ill-fated ship
was a few days later burnt, but luckily in a harbour
in Japan.

The voyage was drawing to a close. On the
31st of August I was once more, after many years
interval, in the entrance of San Francisco harbour.
The old land-marks were there, but the city was no
longer the San Francisco of twenty-two years ago.
It was in vain that I endeavoured to define the old
outlines ; the nurseling had become a giant, and its
features were no longer recognisable.

I put up at the Occidental Hotel which, though

CALIFOBNIA BEYTSITED.

305

large, and containing a couple of hundred bed-
rooms, was crowded. What luxury and comfort !
while as for the table, no place in the world offers
such abundance of all that is good and delicious of
flesh, fish, and fruit, as a Californian hotel; the
tables groaned under their weight, and this at a
cost of only three to four dollars per day. I asked
myself whether this was the same country where,
when I knew it last, a friend of mine paid 260
dollars per month for his room, having to hoist his
umbrella while in bed, and thirty-five dollars per
week for his board, which was of the simplest !
Yet all the luxuries I now saw were the produce of
the country, and furnished a proof that gold was
not the only treasure California had to offer the
confiding adventurers to whose labour and energy
it owed its first start.

Accompanied by a friend whom I had known
when last here, and who had never left San
Francisco, I took a ramble through the town, and
my first inquiry was for Flagstaff Hill, from the
top of which I had sketched the town in 1849; but
it had all but disappeared, levelled by the spade. I
then wanted to visit the mission-house of Dolores,
a country walk of three miles on my former visit;
but now it was deep in the city. I traced the water-
lots, which had been offered to me for a few hundred
dollars ; on them stood now the finest buildings in
the principal part of the city. One such lot wonld
have made me a millionaire 1

306 PIONEEBING IN IHB FAB EAST-

I tad brougtt three letters of introduction to
influential firms in the city. One was to Mr.

F__ , considered one of the wealthiest men in

San Francisco. I saw him twice without any par-
ticular incident happening, but on my third visit
he said, after looking at me attentively, “Have
you been in California before?” and on my answer-
ing in the afilrmative, he said : “ I thought so, yon
were one of the twenty-two in Montgomery Street.’

In fact, this gentleman to whom I had thus ac-
cidentally become accredited, after an interval of
twenty-two years, had been one of the nvmry party
who used to rough it, and to have many a jovial
evening together in the old shanty in Montgomery
Street. He was then a poor correspondent of a
newspaper, but had since become a Croesus.

I had come to California with a distinct object in
view. That accomplished, I was anxious to speed
on my homeward journey ; I therefore gave little
time to sight-seeing in San Francisco ; but I
visited Cliff House, on the sea-shore. From the
verandah of this house a strange sight is to be
seen; indeed, long before it is reached a bellowing
is heard, gradually increasing to a deafening roar,
intimating something extraordinary, and soon, on
a rock some 150 yards from the shore, a curious
commotion is visible. It looks as though the rock
was moving, but it is a great number of monsters
— in other words, sea-lions, perhaps a couple of
hundred of them, which play, and fight, and rear,

CALIFORNIA REVISITED.

307

now plunging into tbe sea, tben again awkwardly-
crawling on to the rock, in unceasing motion.

In the evening I saw a lion of another kind.
Returning to the hotel, I noticed a great gathering
of people outside one of the music-halls, and, hearing
national airs played, I concluded that something
unusual was going on, and followed the crowd in.
It was General McLellan, stumping the country in
favour of Mr. Greeley’s election for the Presidency.
He held a levee, and the crowd was walking round
the ring, shaking hands with the General as the
people passed him. I was told that this had been
going on for two hours ; if so, the gallant General’s
arm must have been pretty well tired. Evidently
the sovereign people of the great Republic are not
exempt from hero-woi’ship. I could not help feel-
ing, however, that there was something impressive
in the self-imposed, orderly conduct of this huge
crowd, and in the spontaneous homage offered to a
meritorious fellow-citizen.

My object in California was to visit the quick-
silver mines, and I lost no time in putting this into
effect. On the 3rd of September I left San Fran-
cisco by rail at 4.30 p.m., for San Jose, where I
arrived at seven. The town is situated in a pretty
valley, and the Auzerai’s house, where I put up,
was a most comfortable hotel. I was to visit the
celebrated Alraaden quicksilver mines, situated
twelve miles from San Jos6, and before retiring
for the night I ordered a carriage to take me

308 PIONEEEING IN THE FAB EAST.

across. At seven next morning a trap with a pair of
spirited horses was brought to the door. I waited a
little while for the driver, but none turned up, an
I was then told that none could he spared, and 1
would have to drive myself. Now, as I had no
experience in driving, I looked rather doubtmgly
at the somewhat eager-looking steeds, and regretted
not having ordered a saddle-horse; but I was
evidently “ in for it,” so, taking the reins with as
much nonchalance as I could command, I was
about to start, when it occurred to me to ask the
road; but my steeds had no mind to wait, they
were ofiE at a gallop, and had left some miles behind
ns before I had a chance to inquire whither I was
going. As good luck would have it, we were all
right, and by degrees I felt quite at my ease, and
was able to enjoy the beautiful country through
which I was passing. It was a rich valley, about
fifteen miles wide, with mountain ranges on either
side, and covered with orchards and corn-fields, and
here and there clumps of magnificent oaks, cypresses,
and sycamores. The harvest was in full operation,
and I had occasion to admire the mechanical skill
by which the Americans make up for want of
labour in the cultivation of their vast estates.
Steam was at work in every direction, cutting the
corn, gathering, and threshing it. In this wonderful
climate there is no need of bringing corn under
roof, it is bagged in the field, and from thence
leisurely sent to tlie inarket.

OAtIFOEJSIA EBTISITED.

309

The twelve miles to Almaden was accomplished
in one hour and a quarter. The first intimation
that I was near the mines was a sign-board, upon
which was painted in large letters, “ Cinnabar
House.” Then came a village where the workmen
live, and then a gate, the entrance to the works, a
board upon which intimated, in large letters, that
there was no admittance for strangers, and the land-
lord of the inn told me that this was strictly
enforced. It was, therefore, with some little mis-
giving that I called upon Mr. Randal, the manager,
who indeed looked at me s^lspioiously, but my
letters of introduction put me all right. He offered
me every facility, and ordered one of the foremen
to attend me.

The new Almaden quicksilver mine is one of the
most famous and valuable of the Californian mines,
and my interest in it was increased by the circum-
stance that there is considerable resemblance between
the situation and general appearance of this mine
and those of the “ Tegora ” mines in Sarawak ; and
the history of this mine is so remarkable that I
think an outline of it, drawn from official docu-
ments, mil prove interesting.

Even before the advent of the Spaniards in Cali-
fornia, this place was known to the Indians, who
painted their faces with the powdered cinnabar
(how their teeth fared is not recorded) ; at a later
period the Jesuits made their converts bring this
pigment to paint the Mission-church. In 1824

g|^0 PIONEERING IN THE FAB BAST.

Antonio Sunol and the Ohahollas endeayoured to
work the cave as a silver mine, and for that pur-
pose they erected a mill on a stream near by and
obtained a flask of quicksilver; and again, ten
years later, the Chabollas renewed the attempt.
In 1845, when Andre Oastillero, a captain in the
Mexican Eegular Army, happened to be m this
department, one Ohato Robles called his attention
to this spot ; Oastillero founded a company, dividing
the property of the mine into twenty-four shares.
It is interesting to see how the value of these shares
rose as the mine got more and more developed. In
March one share sold for only 800 dollars ; in April
and May three shares sold for 1,000 dollars each ;
in September two shares sold for 3,800 dollars;
in August 1849 one share sold for 5,000 dollars ;
and one year later James Alexander Forbes sold

one share to John Garott for 24,000 dollars.

In December 1852 a number of the shares had
passed into the hands of Jacker, iorre & Oo. ; they
were resold by these gentlemen to the firm of
Barron, Forbes & Co. for 380,000 dollars, and this
at a time when the title to the mine was threatened
with a combination of law- suits. It was admitted
during the great trial which took place in 1859-60,
“United States -u, Andre Oastillero,” that up to
that time the profits of the mine had reached the
enormous sum of 8,000,000 dollars, and the value
of the mine was fixed by the United States Govern-
ment at 25,000,000 dollars.

OALIFOENIA EEVISITJSD.

311

The mines, to which the above refers, are
situated on a range of hills subordinate to the
main coast range, the highest point of which is
1,200 to 1,500 feet above the valley of San Jos^.
The ridge which contains the quicksilver vein runs
north-westerly from this mine for a distance of five
miles ; the vein, varying from 15 to 200 yards in
width, has its strongest apparent development near
this mine. Here the divisions and spurs spread out
the vein in an irregular form. The walls or boun-
daries of this great vein are clearly defined. They
contain within the limits trap, serpentine, limestone,
quartz, calcareous spar, and other rocks, and run-
ning across the vein occur at intervals the deposits
of cinnabar ore. These deposits are in veins, having
their distinct walls, however small they may be;
thus making veins within the great vein.

My guide took me over the whole of the mines,
about five miles. There were upwards of two miles
of galleries in the mountain, with three separate
entrances. One of these—the one worked by the
previous owners — was no longer worked by this com-
pany ; it was on the opposite side of the mountain
to those worked at this time. The ore was sent
in the first instance on an inclined tramway,
afterwards carted down a pretty steep road,
mile and a half, to the works. A few men were
working in this mine on their own acco
the ore to the Company, and I found a
Mexicans picking over a heap of

312 honbbbing in the bae bast.

appeared to me very poor. On the opposrte side
of the mountain two drifts had been run in ; the
lower one of these was the outlet of all the ore then
brought out, the ore from the upper galleries being
sent down through a shoot to the lower ones.

They had recently struck some very good ore, a
long way into the mountain, and were sinking a
shaft down upon it, which was already some 500
feet deep. Wages varied from forty-five to sixty
dollars per month, with board, which was valued
at fifteen dollars. A working day was ten hours.
There were about 900 men in the mine, one third of
whom were white, the rest Mexicans. A good many
of the latter were hving by picking old refuse from
stone. The character of the ore seemed similar to
that of Borneo.

Having completed my investigations in these
mines, I returned to San Jose, having had a most
exciting drive, for two young ladies in a buggy
insisted on racing me the whole way. At night I
returned to San Francisco.

My next excursion was to the quicksilver mines
in the Pope valley, Napa county. Leaving San
Francisco by steam-boat at 4 P.M., on the afternoon
of the 6th of September, we crossed the harbour,
passing “Goat,” and “ Alcatraz” islands. These,
which when I last saw San Francisco had hardly a
hut upon them, were now covered with fortifications
and military establishments on a most extensive
scale. Entering San Pablo Bay (a continuation of

CAtIFOKNIA REVISITED.

313

that of San Francisco), we reached the Straits of
Oarquinez, and entering a narrow sheet of water
on the left, soon found ourselves at Vallejo, the
southern terminus of the Pacific railroad. Then I
took train for the town of Napa, which I reached at
7 P.M., and put up at the “Rivera House” hotel.

The object of my first visit was the Redington
quicksilver mines, and at 5.30 next morning I
started in a light trap with a pair of horses (by
this time I had become an experienced whip). The
morning was beautiful, but cold, about 60°; but
soon the sun got power. Later in the day it was
98° in the shade, and probably 15° to 20° more in
the sun, but the atmosphere was so pure and dry
that the heat was not oppressive ; yet it was a
marvel to me how white men could do field-work in
such a heat ! in the Eastern states it would have
killed them. After some hours’ heavy driving, I
stopped for a. cup of coffee at Neil’s Ranche. Neil
was a good, honest Kentish man, with a smart
Scotch wife ; both were anxious for news from
home, and spoke affectionately of the old country.

I next stopped at a roadside inn, Barreyessas
Hotel ; this takes its name after the valley, which,
again, is named after a Mexican who formerly
owned it, but lost his magnificent estate of 32,000
acres by gambling; 15,000 tons of wheat were raised
on it last season. I saw this man, now a beggar,
sitting outside the door of a miserable cottage I

I arrived at 4 p.m. at the mines, and the manager.

gl4 PIONEERING IN THE EAR BASP.

Mr. Livermore, to whom I had an introduction
from the proprietors, gave me a mos oor
welcome, mi every faciHty for ezammmg the
Tol One of the directors of the Company, who
Lppened to be staying here, ofiered the followmg
Lyf to drive me over the district. He was an old
oJifornian, full of wit and humour, -nd proved a
most interesting compamon, and an 0^001'™ P*
a very necessary qualification on t e roa

wKicb. W6 tiO d.rivG* ce -tv/t

I visited successively the “ Sedington, Man-
hattan,” and “Phmnix” mines, besides
smaller ones, and was much impressed by the v^t-
of the resources of this extraordinary coun ry.
There seems practically no limit to the pro uc ion
of quicksilver. As yet, however, the business TO
hardly carried on with the same energy as m the
mining of otlier minerals. In many cases, indee ,
it was clear that the mines were worked with
insufficient means, and in a manner that could
hardly pay when prices for the metal were low;

thev were then exceptionally high. _

Having been so busily engaged in quicksilver-
mining during the last few years, it was interesting
for me to compare the conditions under which the
mines were worked here with those in Borneo; con-
ditions which, the mines being of equal richness,

weighed, in my opinion, much in favour of e

latter country. Here were barren mountain ranges,
in many cases distant from railroads or river,

CALIlj'OENlA BEVISmi).

315

i

destitute of fuel, which was laboriously hauled great
distances over difficult mountain-tracks^ and, above
all, expensive labour, the men getting, as I have
stated, forty to sixty dollars per month i while at
the mines on the forest-clad slopes of the Sarawak
rivers, our Chinese, Dyaks, and Malays got only
from five to eight dollars per month, fuel and
water being abundant on the spot, and carriage
easy.

It may be that the caution which was apparently
exercised in many of the mining operations for quick-
silver in California was judicious. It is a peculiar
metal, not capable of universal application ; its princi-
pal uses, so far, have been for gold-mining purposes,
the quicksilver being used to absorb the gold, which
subsequently is liberated from it. Again, it is
largely used for the manufacture of vermilion, but
in both industi'ies it is threatened to be superseded
by other agencies. It might well happen, therefore,
that if these vast cinnabar-bearing lodes of Cali-
fornia were vigorously worked, the metal might
become depreciated in value.

The nature of the cinnabar ore in these mines
varies, as does its richness. As a rule it is found as
a reddish-brown massive ore, in bunches, or dis-
seminated through the rock. In other cases, again,
as a black oxide, usually rich, or, as in the Eeding-
ton mine, in beautiful crystals. In some cases, also,
the native quicksilver is obtained, but this is not
usually a promising ore. The yield is very varied ; in

316 PIONEBEING IN THE FAB BASt.

Almaden it was stated to be as bigb as 10 per cent.,
lie in tbe Phoenix it was only H per cent_ ; but
even less than this would then pay, bu , as wi g
and silver, so with quicksilver, the ore ^

irregularly. The lodes wbicb carry it are not unfre
50 to 100 feet thick, and through this great

Tat: the mercury runs irregularly, --

veins and bands of other substances than the mai
lode ; at times following one side, at times anothe^ ,
iTles, again, lost altogether. It is o^ly

by extensive working in a variety of places at on ,
that a good average percentage of the metal
obtained, and in mines so worked it rarely hap

pens that the metal runs short. ^ . t

^ Having acquired all the information I desired, I
took leave of my courteous host, and commenced,
with my new friend, our drive over the country, m
its way, one of the most remarkable performances
I ever remember to have undergone, although my
experiences in this way have been very varied. The
motion of our trap was more that of a boat in a
sea-way, than that of a carriage on land ; only it
was not the gentle rolling of the former, but sharp
and sudden jerks whenever the wheel encountered
a new boulder, which sent me into the air, and
knocked myself and my neighbour about, thong ^
we were playing Punch and Judy. Of what
materials, and how, these American traps are made,
is a mystery to me ; but they do inhnite credit to
•moTinffl.oturer. It was not, however, merely the

OALII’OENIA. BEYISITBD.

317

rouo-hBess of gullies and dried-up river-beds m wbicb
we drove whieh caused me to wooder at OaUomian
roads : tere and there we came to a narrow rao ,
out into the mountain-side at an elevafon m some
places of 3,000 feet, but with a gradient so st^
Ld curves so sharp as to make me wonder how the
Tomes could draw us up in the first case, or pre-
vent our going over the precipice in the second , m
L, if, at such a moment, the harness gave way a
wheel broke, or horse stumbled, over we would go
I gently hinted, on one or two occasions, my
Yankee friend, the propriety of getting down to
walk, but he enjoyed showing the
an old Californian wbip can do, and,
liked to cut it very fine. On one occasion poi
out to Mm that we were getting perilously near

i. • Va- be looked over, turned Ms baccy m

tbe precipice; be looked ov

Ms mouth, and said, 1 guess we • .

inches ” That, I have no doubt, was our m • g ,
but when at the ranche, where we "a us

he me about Aemmtet,om

tetr In^XTad gone over the precipice, and
down the mountain-side, near that very spo .
an awkward occurrenee on such roads, when a team

is met, coming down with "°“k’ or

stores They are usually drawn by mules, sK, o

rreigbt, labouring beavlly ^ep ^ms,

the drivers urging them on with fearful ip^
tions. As these roads are rarely wid g

318 HONEEBING in the eab east.

two veUcleB to pass, it is necessary to be on the out-
look, so as to make a halt at some convenient place.

On such occasions the wheel of the outside carriage
may even have to be let down on “

by main force held in that position till the othe

carriage bas passed. , j •

Altogether, the eight or ten miles drive was

rather of a precarious nature; hut when the heig s
were reached, it was worth the trouble to view the
hills and valleys, and mountain-ranges piled highei
and higher, till at last they culminated in the snow-
clad summits of the Sierra Nevada, standing out
clear in the wonderful atmosphere, though more than
a hundred miles away. It was a glorious sight, and
though we knew that extensive valleys were lying
below, covered with corn-fields and vineyards, they
were hidden in the mighty folds of the mountain-
ranges, and all looked grand and wild, as if yet
untrodden by man ; but as we descended, the details
of the wonderful variety of Californian^ vegetation
appeared, pine, oak, poplar, maple, with endless
varieties of shrubs, and conspicuous amongst them
were the wild vine and the laurel.

Not the least marvel of this day’s drive, m a
fierce heat, was the endurance of the Californian
horses; they never showed sign of distress, and
never seemed to require water; but I was glad

when, at 8 P.M., we reached the ranohe where we
hoped to find night-quarters for man and beast, and
were not disappointed.

OALIPOaNIA BBVISITID.

319

The hot day had changed into a cool and lovely
evening, and the moon was shining as we reached
the ranche. We found it occupied by one man only,
an Americanised Chinaman, who turned out to be
the cook of the establishment. His masters, two
Yankees, were out, bringing in the swine. Presently
they were heralded by the screeching and grunting
of upwards of a hundred of these creatures, driven
by the two men on horseback. When the animals
were secured within an enclosure, and quiet to
some extent restored, the two new-comers gave us
a hearty, if rough, reception ; and John Chinaman
was soon busy preparing our supper, and an excel-
lent one it proved, though the first course, a fine
dish of quails, caused my friend some embarrass-
ment. I must explain that, during our drive in
the early morning, I noticed great numbers of these
birds, and had expressed a desire to make their
further acquaintance ; but my friend, who was
sheriff of the county, explained that the close season
was not yet over, and seemed rather scandalised
when I suggested that, in a country like this, the
game-laws need not be very strictly adhered to.
He seemed almost to consider any doubt thrown
upon the ej0S.cacy of the law as a personal offence
against the sheriff, I therefore doubly enjoyed the
sight of a great dish of these birds, in excellent
condition. I had a good laugh at the sheriff’s
expense, who enjoyed them, nevertheless.

The day’s journey had been a fatiguing one, and

320 HONEEBING IN THE EAE EAST.

although my couch was hard, I slept right well.
When waking next morning, 1 saw my host standing
watching me, or rather my ulster, in which I was
sleeping, a new and a very good one, and which
seemed greatly to have taken his fancy.

“Stranger,” he said, “I guess you have a mighty
fine coat there.”

“ Yes,” I answered. A pause.

“ What might be the value ? ”

“ I could not say.”

“ Will you take 60 dollars for it ? ”

“No.”

My friend then gradually increased his offer up to
120 dollars. I then told him not to put me to
further temptation, as I could not part with it,
which seemed greatly to astonish him, and with
something like contempt in his face, at my inability
to appreciate a good bargain, he turned away. At
6 A.M. we were on the way again.

Near Mount Saint Helena are the hot springs of
Calistoga, in a picturesque valley, entirely sur-
rounded by mountains. Here, at the petrified
forest. Mount Saint Helena, and the Geysers, I
spent a few interesting days in viewing the mar-
vellous phenomena of nature, of which the following
description by an American writer will give some
idea.

“ The hot springs of Calistoga are situated in a
level valley near the foot of Mount Saint Helena, in
the northern part of the country, surrounded on all

OALIFOENIA REVISITED.

321

sides by mountains ; the situation of these celebrated
springs is one of much beauty, the surroundings
are very picturesque, it is a place of fashionable
resort, and there is a good hotel.

“Upon the summit of Mount Lincoln, which is near
the hotel, there is an observatory, and a beautiful
view is obtained of the valley and surrounding
mountains. There are a great many hot springs of
varying chemical character.

“ Some great convulsions are at work underground
at Oalistoga ; the ground is so hot that a dish of
meat buried four feet deep, is cooked in two hours
and a half, and the water issuing from it is near
boiling-point. A well was bored preparatory to
the erection of the bath-house, to a depth of sixty-
five feet, when the boring instruments were blown
out with tremendous force high into the air, as if
some unseen power beneath was resenting the intru-
sion of mortals upon his domain ; the workmen ran
for their lives, and could not be induced to resume
operations upon any terms.

“ Here is another evidence that the presiding
genius of the place does not like to be disturbed.
An attempt was made to pump water from this
well ; after a few strokes, a violent stream was
blown out of the well, ten or fifteen feet high. If
the pumping was stopped, the blowing would stop
also, but renewed afresh as often as the pumping
was resumed. The water at the top being cold,
seems to have held in abeyance the steam and

322 PIONEEBING IN THE FAE EAST.

iutBusoly hot wator bslow j the action of the pump
relieves the superincumbent pressure, when the hot
water below rushes out.

“Five miles south of Oalistoga, on the ridge that
divides Napa and Santa Rosa valleys, is a fossil
forest, the existence of which first became known
in 1870.

“ ‘ Just before our visit a destructive fire had
swept over a portion of it, rendering it compara-
tively easy to examine a large tract of country,
which apparently had never been explored. A care-
ful examination of the locality where the first pros-
trate trunks had been discovered, soon made it
evident that those now on the surface had all been
weathered out of the volcanic tufa and sandstones,
which form the summit of this part of the mountain-
ridge. Several large silicified trees were, indeed,
subsequently found in the vicinity, projecting from
the side of a steep bluff, which had partially escaped
denudation. Extending our explorations among the
mountains for several miles around, we were
rewarded by the discovery of many additional fossil
trunks at various points, showing conclusively that
f.bia tertiary deposit contained the remains of an
extensive forest of very large trees, which had
apparently been overthrown and entombed by some
volcanic eruption. Portions of nearly one hundred
distinct trees, scattered over a tract three or four
miles in extent, were found by our party, and the
information we received from hunters, and others

CALIPOBNIA BEVISITED.

323

familiar with the surrounding country, renders it
more than probable that the same beds, containing
similar masses of silicified wood, extend over a much
greater area.

The fossil trees washing out of this volcanic
tufa were mostly of great size, and appeared to be
closely related to some of the modern forests of the
Pacific coast, especially gigantic conifers. All the
trees discovered were prostrate, and most of them,
after their petrification, had been broken trans-
versely into several sections, apparently by the
disturbance of the enclosing strata.’

“ The trees lie generally north and south, some
with portions of roots still attached. Professor
Marsh was unable to determine their age ; he thinks
the origin of the volcanic material which covered
the forest may have been Mount Saint Helena,
which is an extinct volcano.

“ Twenty-eight miles from Oalistoga are the
celebrated G-eyser Springs, near the Penton
river.

“ No language can adequately describe the im-
pression produced by the first visit to the Grey sens.
The wild scenery around, the torn, irregular walls
of the cafions, splintered into form by earthquakes,
and dyed in all shades of colour by the action of
chemicals, aided by subterranean fires, the fierce
heat, the stunning, stifling vapours, and the wild,
threatening sound of the heated and pent-up waters,
that seemed maddened into fury and struggling to

324 PIONBIEING ra THE EAE EAST.

escape, all combined to produce sensations at once
novel and startling.

« ‘ Tbe Mountain of Fire ’ is an extensive eleva-
tion, crusted over Tvitb brittle crystals of sulphur,
and from ■which steam issues in a hundred places.
The sight is less impressive than many others, but a
vie'W of it confirms the belief of the spectator in the
vastness of the subterraneous fires at work in this
region.

“ We started for the upper portion of the cafion,
in order to follow down the ri-vulet that enters the
frightful trench a pure, cold, mountain-rill, and
issues from it a quarter of a mile below, hot and
saturated with nearly all the acids of a medical
laboratory. Just before reaching the point for
descent, we came upon the ‘boiling cauldrons,’ as
they are called. These were openings in the ground,
partly protected by a back-setting of volcanic-
looking rocks, where pools of water were boiling or
simmering. In one of them we could watch the
swash, a slaty-hued ditch-water, as it seemed, which
exhaled the stench of dock-mud. It appeared to
be a vent for some boiling sewer of the pit. Three
feet off, cleaner water was bubbling, with a gentle
cooking sound; and, at another short remove,
steam was issuing from a score of vents in steady
whiffs, depositing around each little opening beau-
tiful feathery crystals of sulphur. The ground was
very hot, and soon suggested to the feet the
necessity of quick observation. Yet the scene

OALIFOBNIA EB7ISITED.

325

was not entirely devoid of life ; a bob-tailed lizard,
a genuine Salamander, was running over the baked
and burning soil as though he enjoyed the tempera-
ture. And, twenty feet distant, charming wild
flowers were growing, with a touch of blight from
the neighbouring heat or steam.

“We hurried by many of the lesser wonders in
order to reach the great steamboat spring, on the
right-hand wall of the canon. This is the spout
whose loud wheezing we heard nearly a mile off,
while descending into the larger ravine on horse-
back. Around it is a huge pile of slags and fright-
ful clinkers, over which rises the continual roar of
escaping steam from an orifice two feet in diameter,
and, in pulsations, precisely like those of a huge
engine hard at work. Each beat sends the vapour
up visibly 50 to 100 feet; but in the early morning,
when the air was cool, I saw a column 500 feet
high, and widened to a cloud above, belched from
the strange boiler that relieves its wrath through
the mountain-side. Often, a little after sunrise,
too, a rainbow can be seen on the steam-cloud,
spanning the whole length of the awful trench with
hues as clear as if they were refracted in pure
water-drops, and not in sulphurous vapours fresh
from Hades.

“ In the ‘Devil’s Cafion ’ we see nature analytic
and critical ; her work is mostly death. In the
flowers, and groves, and hill-sides lined with beauty,
just outside the sulphurous gorge, and in the blue

326 HONEBEING IN THB PAB EAST.

air and noiselGSS liglit, 'wo see nature, synthetic and
creative, wrapping her acids in sweetness, veiling
her noisome vapours in perfume, transforming her
fires into bloom, harnessing her deadly gases to the
work of adorning the earth and serving man. And
we will ride away from the Greysers, glad that we
have seen its marvels and terrors, and grateful that
the ever-renewing loveliness on the bosom of the
world hides from us the awful fact which the
Professor has so concisely stated, that we live on
a globe which has a ‘ crust of fossils and a heart of
fire.’ ”

The object of my stay in California being ac-
complished, I started by the Pacific Railway for
New York. On the way I stopped at Nevada, in
order to visit the celebrated Comstock silver mines,
which were near that city. To reach these, as the
railway was not then constructed, I had to travel by
coach, and this journey proved to be one I was not
likely to forget. In company with two American
gentlemen, my fellow-travellers, I left the train at
midnight, and found the coaches (three in number)
waiting to con vey passengers on to the mines. By
the dim Ught of burning faggots we saw a crowd
of rough, rowdy-looking men, the adventurers who
are in the van of pioneering in the wilds of those
regions, and are, as a rule, the scum of that restless
and unsettled class which is for ever extending the
borders of the white man’s dominion, and is the
mortal foe of the redskin. I felt that it was not

CALIFORNIA REVISITED.

327

without reason that my American friends whispered,
“ Have you got your revolver ? ” No savages that
I had ever come across could compare for down-
right brutal ferocity with those who were to be our
travelling-companions. Their first act had been to
possess themselves of our rugs, the second to secure
all the best places, warning us off with fearful
imprecations. The result was such a night as I
never hope to experience again ; perched on some
boxes on the roof of the coach, without my rug,
and barely able to hold on as we rattled along the
rough mountain tracks, I was numbed and shaken
to pieces long before we reached Virginia city.
"When returning by the same coach it was daylight,
and we then saw that it was full of bullet-holes, the
work of robbers, while the inside was well supplied
with irons, intended, as the driver told us, for
unruly passengers.

Of these wonderful silver mines it is not my
object to speak. In the lowest galleries the heat
was almost unbearable, but I was told that men
of great wealth were working here as common
miners, wielding the pick in order to inform them-
selves as to the promise of the rock, and so specu-
late successfully in the shares, and in this way
doubtless large fortunes were made.

At Utah also I broke my journey, interviewing
Brigham Young, who paid me the compliment of
praising the Scandinavian women ; but I must say
that the appearance of those seen did not indicate

828 PIONBEEINQ IN THE EAB EAST.

ttat the peculiar institution had brought them much
happiness. Wonderful, nevertheless, is the work
which has been done by the Mormons, for Utah is
an oasis in the stony desert.

But I must take my reader no further in America.
The chapters of my Eastern career terminate with
my departure from the shores of the Pacific.

A few years later I undertook a voyage to the
Polar regions, whither I shall be glad to conduct

my reader if he be so minded.

329

CHAPTER IX.

THE WHITE SEA.

Five years had passed since my departure from
Borneo, and, having satisfactorily terminated a
harassing law-suit, 1 was desirous again to find
occupation, and was therefore ready to look into a
scheme which had been put before some of my
friends, and which seemed to combine great possi-
bilities with a touch of romance. A collection of
old German manuscripts was sent me for perusal,
and from them I gathered the following.

The field of the proposed enterprise appeared, to
an old Indian like myself, somewhat forbidding. It
was in the Arctic Regions, on the coast of Lapland,
in the White Sea; and the story was this : —

In the early part of the last century, about 1732,
when the Empress Anna reigned in Russia, the
attention of her Government was attracted to
certain mining adventures undertaken by Russian
subjects, upon the coast of Lapland. Silver, copper,
and lead had been found, and the Government

330 PIONEBEING IN THE PAR EAST.

became desirous to profit by the discovery. As
yet there was uo organized mining department, and
the mineral wealth of the already vast empire had
remained almost untouched. Under these circum-
stances an application was made to the Saxon
Government by that of Eussia, for scientific and
practical miners to open up the mineral resources
of the empire ; and, in response, a certain Baron
Schonberg, a Saxon mining-official was sent, with
about forty miners. These all went to the White
Sea, where extensive mining operations were com-
menced, both on the extreme eastern coast of
Lapland, for copper, and on the western shores of
the White Sea, for silver and lead. The manuscripts
contained full accounts of the doings of these men,
giving even plans of the mines.

One marvels at the hardihood of these old Saxons
in undertaking such a journey as that through Russia
to the White Sea, m the then state of that country;
but more wonderful still are the evidences of their
labours there, revealed 150 years later, which will
be described further on. Suffice it here to say that
Schonberg, after having been in the good graces
of Anna and her successor, Elizabeth, shared the
fate of so many favourites in Eussia, and was, after
years of arduous labour, disgraced, imprisoned, and
finally sent out of the country, with all his men ;
and with their departure the mining operations in
Lapland ceased. How far these had been re-
munerative was not clear, but silver had been won,

THE WHITE SEA.

331

and the story told in St. Petersburg was that the
intrigues against Baron Schonberg, and the closing
of the mines, had had no connection with the pro-
ductiveness of the latter. There appeared to be
suflScient inducement for further inquiry, and, at the
request of my friends, I went to St. Petersburg for
that purpose, arriving there on the 11th of July
1877.

The reader need not fear a description of that
city, its gorgeous domes resplendent in gold, silver,
green, and blue ; its handsome, broad, endless, but
abominably paved streets ; its superb monuments,
its numerous palaces, have been too often described
to require repetition. Suffice it to say that the city
and its public buildings are on a scale fitly to repre-
sent so vast an empire ; but I thought them, in other
respects, emblematic of it. Passing the superb
Isaac’s Church one day with a Russian friend, who
made some allusion to its magnificence, I said :

“ Yes, it resembles your Empire.”

“ You are right,” he rejoined ; “ it has grand
proportions.”

“ And a rotten foundation ! ” I added.

My friend looked anything but pleased, and said :

“ Not so rotten as you think.”

“You shall judge for yourself,” I said; and
taking him nearer to the building, I showed him
what he, at least, appeared not to know, that the
fa§ade of one entire side had sunk — I should say
at least twelve or eighteen inches.

332 PIONIBBING IN THE FAR EAST.

Though there was at this time a feeling of
depression, caused hy the ill success in Turkey, I
yet found St. Petersburg very pleasant. The
Russians, whatever their faults may be, are hos-
pitable and kindly ; and, their summers being short,
they have to make the most of them. The gentle-
man with whom my business lay, did his best to
make my stay agreeable. Being a bachelor, he
kept a sort of open house for his friends ; round his
table, whether at lunch or dinner, guests were
always seen, and the cuisine was worthy of the fine
old Madeira which flowed freely. There were two
old generals, who never failed us. With what a
glow of satisfaction they used to hail the well-known
brand 1 the fiercest assault on English policy would
relax under its influence, though the truce was, as
a rule, but short-lived. At that time the course of
the war in Turkey was a source of much disap-
pointment, and very small mercies in the field
caused the town to be decked with flags ; but our
military friends treated these checks as unimportant,
and never doubted that Constantinople would
eventually be captured. Our general used to talk a
good deal about Russia’s natural frontier, and his
argument led, in fact, as he admitted, to the conclu-
sion that Pekin and Calcutta would eventually be
found inside the green line. Yet, while arguing in
this way, he at the same time admitted that Russian
officials could not be trusted at distant stations.
When speaking of the vastness of the Russian

THE WHITE SEA.

833

Empire, one is, however, apt to forget that by far
the greater part of it lies in inhospitable regions,
and it is no doubt, in part, an unconscious longing
for softer climes which prompts this insatiable
ambition. Who, for instance, will wonder if the
Court and its entourage should desire to exchange
the Neva for the Bosphorus ? The pale, unhealthy-
looking faces, especially amongst the children, seen in
the streets of St. Petersburg, tell of the hardship of
being shut up eight months out of the twelve in
stove-heated rooms. But, doubtless, there are other
causes tending to make the Russian a restless and
unsafe neighbour. He is by nature adventurous,
sanguine, and eager after novelties, whether in poli-
tics or science, and too readily assumes that he has
mastered his subject. There were few, amongst the
people I met at my friend’s house, who had not
some novel theory to propound, or some startling
scheme in hand. The performances of Edison him-
self were dwarfed by some of these marvels; nor did
they confine themselves to mere theories : one, at
least, had been at work on his scheme for four or
five years ; his discovery, of the reality of which he
was thoroughly convinced, aiming at nothing less
than a complete transformation of the present state
of the world.

I remember one Russian whom I met in Lapland,
who, for many years past, had visited that country
every summer, roaming amongst the mountains in
search of a small lake, said in the Middle Ages to

334 PIONEERING IN THE EA.R BAST.

have yielded valuable pearls. The story rested
entirely upon a popular legend, yet on the strength
of this he wandered about year after year amongst
the numerous lakes and swamps of those regions.
But to return to the circle in St. Petersburg : Mr.

p. belonged to a class known in the public

service as the 3rd Division, viz. the secret police.
He had, I was given to understand, been high in
the service, and, as he told me, accompanied Hrand
Dukes on their continental tours, and had numerous
decorations, Russian and foreign. He was occasion-
ally accompanied by Madame P , a pretty,

bright, and clever creature, and, as I afterwards

learned, a popular actress. P also had his

schemes and concessions to dispose of ; in fact, they
were numerous, comprising army contracts, railways,
quarries, and lands. One of these was so extra-
ordinary, by its magnitude, showing on what a vast
scale such traffic is carried on in the huge Empire,
as to deserve particular mention. It consisted of a
concession for no less than 360,000 acres of valuable
forest land, with great facilities for saw-mills,
mining, agriculture, &o. This enormous possession,
the gift of an individual of high rank to a lady,
was for sale at an absurd price. Expressing to
a gentleman my astonishment at such transactions,
he laughingly said: “I could tell you of many

such cases, and will just mention one. The

Railway was to be constructed, and there were
three different combinations competing for the con-

THE WHITE SEA.

335

cession ; I represented one of these. I was in my
office one day, when I was told that a lady wanted
to see me. On being asked by me the object of
her call, she said, ‘You want a concession, I
can get you one,’ and she named the price of her
interference.” My friend added, “ I had no doubt
of her power, but I was not prepared to conclude
the bargain off-hand. She went elsewhere, and we
missed it.”

I myself was, I fear, affected by the prevailing
tone of the surrounding society, and inclined to be
sanguine as to these old White Sea mines. All the
information obtainable pointed unquestionably to
the accuracy of the old story. The museum con-
tained substantial evidence of the silver-mines in
the shape of massive lumps marked “ Bear Island,”
and dated in Sohonberg’s time; and specimens of
copper, lead, and zinc. Official surveys and maps
of the mines were shown me ; the lawyers employed
to examine the titles, declared them to be in perfect
order; and, finally, the minister Valujoff assured
me of the countenance of the Grovernment in the
matter. In short, the bargain for the conveyance
of the titles was finally concluded ; two Russian
gentlemen, one of them head of the mining depart-
ment of Northern Russia (a real Excellency on £300
a year) had agreed to meet me in the White Sea
the following year, to render assistance.

The concession embraced more than a dozen
localities on the coast of Russian Lapland, and on

336 PIONEERING IN THE PAR EAST.

islands in tte White Sea. Tor a specified time we
were to be at liberty to examine and work these, and
on the expiry of that time we had the refusal to
take them over for a certain consideration. All
preliminaries being arranged, I left St. Petersburg.

On my return to London it was needful to con-
sider how the undertaking could be carried out.
The task was not an easy one : the islands of the
White Sea and Russian Lapland were practically a
terra incognita, thinly, if at all inhabited ; the sum-
mer was but of four months* duration ; the mines,
in some cases, were as much as 240 miles apart,
some of them had to be re-discovered ; several were
known to be full of water, and the most important of
them all the sea had flooded. If the expedition was
to effect any practical and useful purpose, it would
be necessary to clear the mines of water, and to
explore them by mining operations carried on by
practical miners ; and to do this, in so distant a
country, with appliances which had to be transported
thither within so short a time, was not exactly an
easy problem; for it was evident that success
depended upon a great variety of circumstances, no
less than upon an adequate supply of men and
materials, and perfect co-operation. Moreover, the
expedition was to be kept within a certain limit ; it
was, above all, essential, in a rough adventure of
this kind, to have men manageable and willing to
work under difficulties, without grumbling, or too
great a display of British independence in the land

THE WHITE SEA.

337

of tlie Muscovite ; and as an Anglo-Eussian war was
within probability, it was not thought desirable that
the expedition should go under the Britisli flag.
Notwithstanding these difficulties, the arrangements
were so far completed as to enable me to leave Lon-
don for the White Sea on the 23rd of May 1878.

Embarking at Hull, in the steamship Angelo, I
arrived in due time at Christiania, where I hoped to
find a small steamboat that would suit our purpose ;
nor was I disappointed — a smart little boat, tlie
Vestfold, of 60 tons burden, which in its younger
days had been an English yacht, was offered and
accepted, and having had her overhauled, and
engaged a smart young Norwegian as skipper, with
a crew consisting of one mate, two engineers, seven
men, and a steward and cook for myself, I sent her
round to Trondhjem, whither the steam-pump,
mining implements, tools, and stores had been sent
from England, while I proceeded by rail.

The railway journey by rail from Christiania to
Trondhjem occupies twenty-six hours, exclusive of
one night’s stoppage at a clean and comfortable inn,
where a good early breakfast is consumed, under
the comfortable assurance from the guard that the
train will not leave till you are ready. The scenery,
during the first part of the journey, is very tame ;
hut the mountains grow bolder and more pictur-
esque as the traveller proceeds north.

The Vestfold did not turn up for a couple of
days after my arrival at Trondhjem; she had

338

nOKEEEING IN THE EAR BAST.

encountei’ed severe weatlier, but bad proved her-
self an excellent sea-boat. The stores had arrived,
but I found, to my discomfiture, that, as they had
been landed, 1 could not re-ship them without the
interference of the Customs. G-reat were the incon-
venience and annoyance, but there was no help for
it, and a general assault was made on my multi-
farious belongings. The work was got through,
however, and the duty was paid, although under
protest, and subsequently refunded. Antbon, my
steward and factotum, who had been in despair
at this rude inroad on his domain, was soon busy
refilling lockers and cupboards of every kind, in the
most ingenious manner. Two German mining
engineers from Saxony joined us here, one of whom
was an important addition, for the following reason :
the Russian concessionaire had, on three different
occasions, viz. in the years 1868, 1869 and 1870,
sent two or three scientific gentlemen to the White
Sea, to discover and report upon these mines, and
Mr. B had been with them. They had, how-

ever, merely paid flying visits of some hours’ dura-
tion, and there had been no means to do more than
ascertain that the mines referred to in the old
manuscripts, in the archives at St. Petersburg and

Moscow, really existed. B , however, was able

to confirm all I had been told at St. Petersburg,
and, as he was willing to accompany me, I had
engaged him, with an assistant named Richter,
also from Saxony.

THB WHITE SEA.

339

I now took up my abode on board the Vestfold,
and made myself very comfortable. The boat bad
lately plied with passengers on ' Christiania Fjord,
and had, therefore, as much cabin accommodation
as her size would admit of. There were two small
cabins down below, one of which was occupied by
myself, the other by the captain. On deck there

was a saloon, in which B and Eichter were

to sleep, and where we had our meals; the house
on the bridge was given to the mate, and the men
found room in the fore-cabin and engine-room, both
below deck. The boat had been fresh painted, was
in excellent trim, and looked a smart and handy
craft, and, having got a pilot on board, we finally
left Trondhjem at 11 a.m. on the 14th of June,
bound, in the first instance, for Alten Fjord, near
Hammerfest, and took the inner channel between
the mainland and the numerous islands which line
the coast of Norway. The weather was clear and
fine, we had a smart breeze and a good deal of sea
whenever we were exposed to it, which was only
at intervals, for, as a rule, we were threading our
way through channels ever varying — now so narrow
as to appear as if we were within stone’ s-throw of
either side ; then, again, miles wide ; while again,
the open sea would be before us. Then the Vestfold
would show us what she could do in the way of
rolling ; in fact, we were minus a considerable por-
tion of our pots, pans, and china, ere we had been
many hours at sea ; but we learned by experience.

340 PIONBEBING IN THE EAE EAST.

and took care to have our meals when under the lee
of some island. As night came on, and I retired
to my snug little cabin, I experienced my first
disappointment ; the vessel being so low in the
water, the ports could not be kept open at sea, and
I soon found that the proximity of the engine-room
made my cabin too hot, and I had to join the party
in the saloon. Here, too, was trouble, as Richter
proved a perfect grampus ; but sleep came at last.
B- — - was less fortunate, and poor Richter was
eventually banished to Anthon s sanctum in the
larder. Such little flaws in our arrangements were
soon adjusted, and I enjoyed my sail exceedingly.
It seemed like olden times, when I used to sail
about the coast and rivers of Borneo in a similar
boat ; but the scenery was somewhat different, and
so was the temperature. As we neared Alten the
scenery increased in beauty ; the mountains were
higher, with bolder and more rugged outlines.
Snow, which at first appeared here and there in
patches, now covered the higher parts entirely. It
is a barren and stern-looking country, scantily
peopled, and with but little cultivation ; here and
there the rocky shore is covered with fish laid out
to dry, and clean-looking brightly painted wooden
houses are seen at intervals; everything betokens
a poor but well-ordered and thrifty people.

On the 15th the sun no longer sank below the
horizon; at midnight the bright orb was still
throwing his ruddy beams across the sea, and soon

THE WHITE SEA.

341

after lie began to rise again, and as the rosy light
gradually spread over the snowy ranges of Pin-
marken, where an apparently extensive glacier
sparkled with marvellous hues, the sea, smooth as
glass, reflecting the wondrous panorama, the sight
was sublime indeed. The thermometer then showed
62° Fahrenheit. I could not tear myself away, but
walked the deck till past two o’clock; in fact, I
soon began to find that the sun’s constant presence
rather tended to demoralise, for one did not know
when to make it night. The Vestfold meanwhile,
averaging nine knots, was threading her lonely way,
but only an experienced pilot could find his way
though these tortuous channels, and 1 wondered
how ours remained at his post day after day,
apparently without requiring rest. As we advanced
north, the snow-line was gradually getting lower,
but a few hundred feet above us, in sharp contrast
to the green line of pasture below. Now and then
narrow pine-clad valleys cut into the barren fjelds,
and here and there brightly-painted houses clustered
round the village church, while sheep and cattle
browsed on the overhanging slopes ; truly a charm-
ing picture, of a sterner type, perhaps, than Swiss
landscapes, but, in its way, as fine. Then the
water-fowl were getting numerous ; the eider duck
paddled alongside, or rested on the rocks close by.
When off Bodo we had to stop an hour, to adjust
the engine, and meanwhile we caught some
delicious flounders. In the early morning of the

342 PIONEEKING IN THE PAE EAST.

16th we were off Tromso, a town with about 3,000
inhabitants, on a small island, a little green patch
set in a huge white frame, the green line below the
snow h.aving now become very narrow; two or three
steamers and several sailing-vessels lay off the
town. The sun was high in the heavens ; it was
five o’clock, but not a soul was to be seen as we
passed swiftly and noiselessly by. Off Ulfs Fjord
we felt the swell of the ocean; passing Ouro we
had it smooth again ; but as soon as we rounded
Logo we were again exposed to the heavy roll from
the ocean, and for three hours, till we turned east-
ward into Stjeren Sound, the Vestfold rolled heavily.
We passed Loppen, and then we were in the narrow
rock-bound fjord which leads to Alten, of which
place Murray says : “ In several parts of the Alten
valley the traveller will meet with as soft and pleasing
scenery as an Alpine country can present ; indeed,
the impression on the first view, is that of an oasis
formed by nature as a resting-place in the midst of
ruggedness and desolation.”

And, in truth, the scene at the end of the fjord
down which we were now steaming, and of which
the village clustering round a pretty church was
the centre, might well have been situated in a
more southern clime than that of the Arctic region,
so green and soft was the setting. It was a bright,
sunny Sunday afternoon, and as we came nearer,
we saw the people in their Sunday best, in groups,
sitting down on the slopes, or wandering about.

THE WHITE SEA.

343

apparently watching us with keen interest, for
which there was good reason ; for some sweetheart,
husband, or brother had already engaged to join in
our adventurous voyage.

It had occurred to me, when planning this
expedition, that these hardy Norsemen would, in
many respects, suit my purpose better than Eng-
lish miners, and, as an English company was
working copper mines at Alten, I was able to
arrange in London that some of their experienced
Norwegian miners should accompany the expe-
dition, and the Vestfold was therefore expected at
Alton.

As soon as we had anchored, one of the Com-
pany’s men came on board with hospitable messages
from the manager, whom I found with a party of
ladies and gentlemen, some English, and some
Norwegian, in the grounds of the manager’s house,
playing croquet.

I called at Alten with another purpose in view,
besides that of obtaining men, viz. to study the
condition under which mines are worked in these
high latitudes. My inquiries tended to show that
the climate interposes no obstacle; the mines, when
fairly deep, are warmer in winter than in summer,
and even in the over-ground work there is hardly
any interruption. To my question, “ How do you
get on in the three dark months ? ” the answer
was, “It is not absolutely dark; the clear starry
sky, the reflection from the snow, and the aurora

344 PIONEEEINQ m THE PAR EAST.

combined, tend to create sucb a light that the eye
at last hardly misses the sunlight.”

The manager’s hospitality made me acquainted
with the ptarmigan, Norwegian grouse, and the
excellent Alten salmon. We had now got our
miners on board, sixteen in all, who, with their
boxes and bundles, sadly lumbered the Vestfolds
deck, much to the disgust of the captain, who prided
himself on the boat’s trim and yacht-like appear-
ance. But eventually men and boxes disappeared
below deck, and the Vestfold was soon once more
ready, though full and deep. We were, all told,
thirty-two on board. So far it had been pleasant
sailing, but we were now rapidly approaching the
North Cape, when we would have several days’
steaming along the, to us, unknown coast of Russian
Lapland, exposed to whatever the Polar ocean
might be pleased to offer us, and our tiny boat
looked hardly fit to encounter its fitful humours.

We left Alten at 8 a.m. on the 18th of June, and
arrived at Hammerfest in six hours. This is an
insignificant little town, but a great resort for
whalers and for Russian traders, who here exchange
their fish for com. A smell of fish and fish-oil,
therefore, pervades the town. Having taken in a
few stores, and as many coals as we thought it
prudent to carry, we got under weigh again at
4 P.M. on the 19th. The weather continued
extremely fine, and the sea smooth. One of the
Norwegian steamers, the Jonots Lee, taking tourists

THE WHITE SEA.

345

to the North Cape, left at the same time ; I had
trarelled with some of her passengers from Christiania
to Trondhjemj and they gave us a parting cheer as
we passed out together. We kept them within
sight until within a short distance of the North
Cape, when we bore down eastward, through Mar-
gerob Sound, and they disappeared in the dark
shadows of the Cape, now dimly seen in the ruddy
light of the midnight sun. As we entered the dark
and narrow strait, the perfect solitude of which was
enlivened only by vast clouds of sea-birds, it seemed
as if we were leaving civilisation behind, and when
we emerged from the strait into the wide expanse
of the slowly-heaving ocean, I felt it to be almost
presumptuous to have ventured upon it in our
small boat. However, I had embarked upon an
adventure, not for the first time in my life, and
whatever might prove the value of the enterprise
we had taken in hand, the task had been committed
to me, and must be carried out. The miner’s lamp
must again light up those galleries which the brave
old Saxons — amidst difficulties and hardships in-
numerable^ — had wrought 160 years ago.

We arrived at Vadso, the last Norwegian town,
at 8 P.M. on the 20th, having had a good run along
the forbidding-looking coast. The weather con-
tinued fine, but there was a heavy swell from the
north, and the Vestfold had been anything but com-
fortable ; we had seen neither ship nor boat, but
now and then we noticed flocks of reindeer, seeking

346 PIONBBRING IN THE PAE EAST.

their scanty fare on the cliffs. Vadso is but a poor
edition of Hammerfest, excelling it in fishy smells,
and no wonder, for right abreast of where we
anchoi’ed was the well-known whaling establish-
ment of Mr. Foin, where something like eighty
whales were boiled down that season. beven
or eight of them were then being operated upon,
and his steam whale-boats brought in two more
that same evening. The harpoon by which the
fish is caught is fired from a cannon in the bow of
the boat.

Having changed the pilot and posted our letters,
we lifted anchor at 11 a.m. Our new pilot had
been much engaged in bear and walrus hunts in the
Arctic regions, especially in Novya Zemlya, and spun
many a yaim of his adventures — how on one occa-
sion a Polar bear was so close upon him as barely to
leave him time to open the door of his hut, from
whence he shot it; or how, when they had caught
a young walrus, the mother furiously threw herself
into the boat in search of her offspring, barely
leaving them time to escape to another boat. The
Vestfold was somewhat too unsteady for writing or
reading with comfort, and I was glad to while away
the time in listening to our pilot’s stories.

On the 23rd of June, at 9 a.m. we could see
through the glass the lighthouse of Cape Orloff,
marking the entrance to the White Sea, just ten
days after our departure from Trondhjem. The
Vestfold had done her work well, having been under

THE WHITE SEA.

347

steam only nine days and sixteen hours from
Christiania to Cape Orlolf. At 11 we were off the
Cape, and, telling the Captain to keep under steam
without anchoring, 1 went on shore with the pilot,
at a place where there seemed to be an inlet between
the rocks, and here we landed on a large snow-
drift, and walked towards the lighthouse situated
on the height half-a-mile above. Three Russian
peasants, in charge of the lighthouse, came down
to meet us, and took us to it. Prom it we had an
extensive view overlooking the country which was
to be the scene of our first explorations. Following
the coast-line towards the south, I could see an
inlet from the sea, about eight miles off ; this, the men
told me, was the stream Russenika, and between
it and the lighthouse were the eighteen lodes of
copper ore, some of which Schonberg had been
working. I had hoped to enter the stream with
the Vest/old, but learned now, much to my disap-
pointment, that this was not practicable, and that
the only shelter on the entire coast was behind
three small islands some four miles south of Rus-
senika. For these islands we accordingly steered,
and anchored there, among a number of small
native coasting- vessels, at 4 p.m. Some of the
owners of these came on board, and I returned
the visit of one, who very hospitably treated me
to tea from the inevitable samovar, a tea-urn, which
a Russian never dispenses with. This, and the
picture of a saint covered with gilding, are seen in

S48 PIONEEBING IN THE EAR EAST.

every respectable house; and in the little cabm of

this boat, which was very neat and clean, the icon
was encased in the richest of frames, and the
samovar was as bright as polished brass and copper

could make it. i. di

But the necessity of anchoring so far from the

scene of our operations, in an anchorage only
partially protected, was an unlooked-for disappoint-
ment. It entirely deranged our plans, and threw
great obstacles in our way. The intention had
been that the explorations should be conducted
from the F«sf/oM direct, the working parties con-
tinning to sleep on board, and to draw their pro-
vision and materials from thence; but now it was
evident that a base must be established on shore.

I had intended to go into these explorations with
all the resources at my command, to finish here,
and then to remove all to the other scenes of our
labours at Bear Island and the neighbouring coasts
on the western shores of the White Sea, about 240
miles from our present anchorage ; but it was now

evident that Eussenika could not be dealt with in
this offhand manner, and as time would not permit
of much delay in the commencement of operations
at Bear Island, where mines had to be pumped, it
became necessary to divide our party, leaving some
to prosecute the work at Eussenika, while others
went to Bear Island. But there was a further
difficulty ; the blasting materials were not yet to
hand. B had been commissioned by me to buy

THE WHITE SEA.

349

at Hamburg, and ship to Eussenika, a quantity of
dynamite, and this he had succeeded in doing, the
captain of the ship engaging to land the stuff at
Cape Orloff; but though ample time had elapsed,
none had arrived. This caused me, however, little
surprise, as it is possible to communicate with that
cape only in fine weather, and I thought it likely
enough that the vessel had carried the dynamite to
Archangel, which was her destination. However,
as there was much work to be done at Eussenika,
before blasting could be commenced, I had no im-
mediate anxiety on this score. It now became our
first care to get a working party housed, with pro-
vision and materials, within a practicable distance
from the mines, and the only way of doing this
appeared to be by establishing them inside the creek,
in a boat, and I fortunately succeeded in buying for
sixty pounds a decked boat large enough to hold
the entire party and their stores, and which at the
same time, in case of need, would enable them to
communicate with other settlements on the coast.

Previous, however, to taking this step, Mr. B ,

the captain, and myself had been examining the
country opposite our anchorage, and as far as the
creek of Eussenika. It was a moorland plateau
about 120 feet above the sea, to which it presented
bold, in most places steep, cliffs ; it was covered
with rank grass, brushwood, and swamp ; the rasp-
berry grew abundantly, but was as yet only in
blossom ; we started several partridges. The dis-

ggQ PIONEEEIKG IN THE FAE EAST.

tance to the stream, which in a straight line could
not exceed four miles, was made, by the necessity
of avoiding swamps and inlets from the sea, a con-
siderable walk. Coming upon one of these little
bays, we saw three Laplanders, two men and a
woman, salmon-fishing ; they had some thirty fish
in their boat, and were in the act of drawing the
net, which brought them eighteen more. As they
were under contract to deliver all to some of the
Russian traders who were present, they declined to
sell any, but presented me with a fine fish. These
were almost the only natives we saw during our
stay at Russenika, nor were any huts or settlements
to be seen, but some eight or ten miles south there
is a considerable Russian village, Ponoy. The fol-
lowing morning it was intended to steam up along
the coast north, and to examine the old excava-
tions, which we had already seen on our way down
from Cape Orloff, but during the night a heavy
gale sprang up from the north, and we were only
too happy to remain within shelter of the islands,
lleing unable to go by sea, which would have saved
us much fatigue and labour, we were preparing to
start by land when a steamer flying the Russian
war-flag was seen steering down towards us. It
proved to be a despatch-boat, PoIcit 8tcii , bringing
my old St. Petersburg friend, one of the two gentle-
men named as having engaged to assist in this
matter. This one, the Excellency, came really in
virtue of his office, to survey the concessions at

THE WHITE SEA.

351

Eussenika (of wkich no survey had yet been made),
on behalf of his friend the concessionaire in St.
Petersburg. He was desirous on his own account,
also, to further this undertaking, for, as he told me,
“ If these mines should be successfully worked
during my term of office, it might procure me
promotion.” In any case it offered those oppor-
tunities for making some addition to his miserable
pay which a Russian official knows so well how to
turn to account. Well-meaning and good-natured,
I have no doubt that this old gentleman would
have rendered us what assistance he might have
it in his power to give, but in our actual con-
dition his presence was only embarrassing ; we
were a large party already on board the Vestfold,
and had no room to spare ; and the old general,
in all the glories of uniform and decorations, and
his seci-etary, in all the filth natural to low-class
Russians, were not a welcome addition to any of
us. To this I would willingly have submitted,
however; but when I found that the surveys he
had in view were likely greatly to interfere with
our work, our resources, and our precious time,
the matter was different ; and so it happened that
the hitherto smooth course of the expedition was
disturbed. The fact was that the old general, at
our friend’s table in St Petersbiu’g, with the ’34
Madeira before him, and anxious to have the
expedition set on foot, was a very different person
to the official who had now, as if by right, taken

352

PIONEERING IN THE EAR EAST,

oiiarge of our little saloon, mucli to the discomfort
of its occupants ; but we soon found that he was
only doing the ornamental, and was entirely in the
hands of his adjutant as regarded the work to be
done, of which he himself apparently knew nothing,
and he had, in consequence, to keep on very good
terms with this man. Now, although I was quite
prepared to do the hospitable to my old friend^ even
at some inconvenience, it was somewhat trying to
find him quietly supplanting me, and giving orders
to the much-puzzled x^nthon, in a manner which
indicated that I had been superseded, and that not
only the divans in the saloon but the choicest
contents of larder and cellar were henceforth to
administer to the comfort of himself, and, above all,
to that of Mamiloff, for such was the name of the
factotum. But I had made up my mind from the
outset not to allow small matters to interfere with
the smooth course of the expedition ; I therefore
bore, with as much patience as I could muster, the
somewhat repulsive presence of Mamiloff, but found
some difficulty in insuring the same forbearance on
the part of others, for no doubt his eccentricities
were trying. Thus, having omitted the most super-
ficial ablutions before dinner, he would, during the
meal, begin combing himself over the table, or spit
out on the floor anything he did not approve of ; for
although Mamiloff’s usual food doubtless consisted
of cabbage-soup and pickled-cucumber, and his
drink of quass and vodki, he was very particular

THE WHITE SEA.

363

in his selection of the good things which the old
general anxiously brought under his notice. This
poor half-savage was, of course, little to blame ;
but it showed a wonderful disregard in his superior
of what, in common decency, was due to the feelings
of civilised men, to force this man’s society upon
them.

Now, however, arose the more important con-
sideration as to the general’s requirements for his
survey. He wanted a number of men, which I
could not supply without interfering with the
proper object of the expedition. It might be very
necessary to have these surveys made, if the mines
came to be worked, but our first object was to
ascertain what probability there was of this being
done. As no men could be spared by us, it became
necessary to seek them in some neighbouring
settlement, the nearest being Ponoy, on a river of
the same name, some eight miles south. An order
was sent down, in obedience to which a number of
wretched-looking peasants came over, and the work
was commenced by Mamiloff, the general remaining
on board, having made one gallant but unsuccessful
attempt at landing. He did, indeed, with the
assistance of a number of men, succeed in scaling
one of the slippery rocks which lined the shore ; but
in a tight-fitting uniform, and patent boots, this had
proved no easy matter, and the prospect of reaching
terra firma over a succession of such rocks, with
intervening sheets of mud, was doubtful. However,

354 IN THE FAE EAST.

he was not to remain long in doubt as to the neces-
sity of beating a precipitate retreat, for clouds of
mosquitoes so fearful as far to exceed anything I
had ever known in my long experience of tropical
countries, seemed, in a moment, to fill the air; the
poor general reached the steamer in a miserable
plight, and did not again attempt to land.

The weather, which for two days had been stormy
and cold, now improved, and on the 26 th we were
able to steam round to the Russenika creek, with
the smack in tow, which soon got safely inside,
having on board the working party with their
supplies. There were, however, certain heavy
articles required at the mines, and to save the men
the labour of carrying these overland, we steamed
up in front of the mines, to land them on the spot,
but this, owing to the swell, we found a some-
what risky and difficult task; and it was not till
the following day that all had been landed on the
cliffs, and Mr. B— and myself began looking
at the mines.

It has been mentioned that the distance from
Cape Orloff to the Russenika is about four miles ;
the lodes which more or less indicate copper are
nineteen in number. The first is seen within a
quarter of a mile from the Russenika, and all of
them are within about two miles of that stream.
They are seen from the sea, and three of them
have been worked to a considerable extent ; thou-
sands of tons have been taken out of these lodes,

THE WHITE SEA.

356

and into tlie deep fissures caused thereby the sea
oasts its spray. As the cliffs in many places are
perpendicular, and 180 feet high, some of these old
excavations can be approached and examined only
from a boat. Considerable quantities of ice and
snow had accumulated, and this, as also the old
timbers, made examination difficult; and, in fact,
considerable clearings required to be done before
the value of the ore could be determined, but the
extensive character of the works seemed to show
that the old miners must have had ore worth
working. The walls were so thickly covered with
moss and encrustations that only chance guided us
in the search for ore, but good specimens were
obtained. Thus employed, we were gradually
returning to Eussenika, where a boat was to meet
us to take us on board the Vestfold, which had
returned to the mouth of that stream. Absorbed
in our work, we had not noticed that a calm morning
had changed into a stormy day ; it was looking
threatening seawards, and heavy seas were dashing
against the rocks. The Vestfold was rolling and
pitching, and our small boat, pulled by two men, could
make but small headway towards her. We were
evidently unable to reach the ship, and in danger of
drifting seawards amongst the rocks, where the
steamer could not follow us, and, as we could no
longer return to the river, our only chance was to
seek a passage between rocks and breakers, and in
this we luckily succeeded, found shelter, and, hauling

356

PIONEBEING IN THE FAB BAST.

our boat on shore, prepared to find our way over-
land to the Three Islands, whither the Vestfold had
returned, unable to remain at the exposed anchorage
off the river. The swampy nature of the country
made a guide very desirable, and as the Lapp
fisherman’s hut was not far off, I made for it. To
my call I got, however, no response; I therefore
put my head through an opening between the skins
with which the framework was covered, to ascer-
tain whether the hut was uninhabited. At first I saw
nothing but cooking and fishing apparatus, but my
eyes, having grown accustomed to the dim light, I
noticed something moving under a bundle of skin
and clothing in a corner, and presently one head
appeared, another, and yet another ; it was my
friend the fisherman, who somewhat ungraciously
appeared, with two comely-looking young women.
Having no interpreter at hand, I was unable then
to inquire into the manners and customs of the
Lapps ; but to my young friend’s good-nature under
trying circumstances I am bound to bear witness,
for, as soon as he understood the object of my
visit, he willingly undertook to become our guide.
We soon found ourselves on board, tired, and glad
to have escaped so well from our adventure.

The Norwegian miners were now established on
shore, and Richter, who was left in charge of them,
had been directed what to do during our absence
in Archangel, whither we were bound, as various
wants were to be supplied before we could go to Bear

THE WHITE SEA.

367

Island. Our coals were nearly expended, the men
were short of biscuit, the dynamite was to be
inquired after, an interpreter had to be engaged,
and I hoped to find letters. We expected to return
from Archangel in five or six days, meanwhile the
men would have ample work to do.

At 10 a.m. on the 29th we got under way and
made the run to Archangel in nineteen hours,
arriving there on the morning of the 30th. We
were soon visited by all sorts of officials, but as
there were orders from St. Petersburg not to
interfere with us, they soon left.

Archangel, for centuries Eussia’s most, con-
siderable seaport on the Northern Ocean, with an
export trade which even now engages some seven
hundred ships during the four months of the
shipping season, is nevertheless in a stagnant, if
not retrograde condition. Having a population of
about 20,000 inhabitants, it seems much larger, on
account of the great extent of ground which it
covers. Even in these desolate regions of the Polar
Sea, Eussia does not belie her character of an
ambitious and encroaching power, as Sweden and
Norway know to their cost; yet she can do little
or nothing with her vast territories. So important
a port as Archangel is without any other means
of communication with the rest of the empire
than such water-ways as nature has provided;
a few short and easily-constructed railway-lines, or
even good roads, would put Archangel within a few

358 PIOXEEBINQ IN THE PAB EAST.

days’ communication with St. Petersburg, whereas
it now takes ten days under favourable conditions,
and in spring and autumn three weeks to a month.

Archangel, nevertheless, is a bright-looking town; the

long, wide streets, or rather roads, with w^ell-built
houses, and numerous churches, all bright with paint
and limewasb, and planked footpaths almost every-
where extend for miles along the Dwina, a magnifi-
cent river, at this time of the year full of shipping
to supply cargo for which queer-looking TToah s
arks came floating down the stream; these huge
floats, which serve as lighters, each of wdiich will
carry several hundred tons of produce, are, in fact,
nothing but covered rafts built in the interior,
drifting down with the stream, and, when discharged,
cut up and sold as timber.

I called cn the Grovernor, from whom I received
a document, enabling me to claim the assistance of
all Government officials in the province ; a docu-
ment which subsequently stood me in good stead.
In Russia, as elsewhere, good introductions ensure
the bearer much courteous assistance, and I am
inclined to think that the Russians are especially
hospitable; this does not, however, prevent them
from showing their national prejudices. Amongst
those from whom 1 received special assistance was the
director of the White Sea Steamship Company ; he
offered, without remuneration, to let one of his
boats call at Bear Island, with and for letters, as long
as I should be there, but ended his conversation with

THE WHITE SEA,

369

me by saying, “I hope I have shown you my
friendly feeling, and I will do all I can to assist
you ; I must, at the same time, tell you that I am
a patriot, and resent the Government giving away
such concessions to foreigners.” But when, in
answer to this, I offered him and his friends a share
in the undertaking, he was not by any means ready
to accept itj it was the old story of the dog in the
manger. It was strange that the very existence
of these old mines was unknown, and, in fact, dis-
believed ; and when, on a subsequent visit to Arch-
angel, I brought specimens from the mines, and
described their extent, there was great astonishment.
But if the inhabitants of these I’egions feel that
nature has treated them hardly, and that at any
rate they are entitled to all the advantages which
are within their reach, who shah blame them, buried
in ice and snow for eight months, while even the
remaining four, which they by courtesy call summer,
bring them but precarious enjoyment, as the follow-
ing will tend to show. Archangel has one public
garden in the best part of the town, and I was
surprised never to see anybody in it. When asking
the reason I was told that, being situated rather
low, it was a special haunt of mosquitoes, and that
consequently nobody could go there.

I engaged two young Russians, brothers, one to
act as interpreter, and the other as fireman j the
former I got through the courtesy of the commander
of a Russian Government steamer, on board which

360 PIOKIEEING IN THE EAB EAST.

he was serving for punishment. The offence was
somewhat curious; being of German extraction,
this young man was very intelligent, and better
educated than young Russians of the same class
would be, and, speaking several languages, he was
able to make himself useful to ships’ captains
Being on board a ship one evening, he was asked
to sing a song, and selected one, the air, though
not the words, being that of the English national
anthem— Russia’s relations with England being just
then in a precarious state. This was promptly
reported, and, on leaving the ship, he was arrested,
the result being compulsory service in a man-of-war.
The captain, being a humane man, aUowed him to
accept the more congenial situation of interpreter on
board the Vestfold, a,ndhe proved most useful; in one
respect only he required looking after— he was
not proof against the national weakness of drink ,
but then. Archangel, being a great seaport, was
very bad in this respect. To my great astonkh-
ment my paragon Anthon yielded to temptation,
and placed me, on one occasion, in an awkward
dilemma. I had asked some officials on board to
lunch, and Anthon had made great preparations.
At the last moment he found that certain articles
were wanted, and went on shore to bring them.
My guests, meanwhile, came, and were, I think,
looking forward with some satisfaction to an English
lunch, as enormous import duties make all foreign
luxuries rare in Archangel. I, on my side, was

THJB WHITE SEA.

361

desirous to show what the Vestfold could afford;
but the time for luncheon came and went, and no
Anthon. My guests looked hungry, I got uneasy,
and, after a vain attempt to gain access to the pantry,
I had to make explanations, and to bow my guests
down the gangway, with as much grace as, under
the trying circumstances, I could command. As
for Anthon, when, hours after, he did return, he
was in a sad plight. But he never did it again.

Of sight-seeing, there is little to do in Archangel.
The churches are here, as in most Russian towns,
bright and picturesque objects externally, but,
beyond this, devoid of interest to travellers. There
was a theatre, where a travelling company per-
formed ; the Grovernor and his lady occupied the
state box, and the rest of the house was moderately
filled, mainly with the official and military class.
The town does not own a library nor a newspaper,
except an official gazette ; there is not a bookseller,
nor would it seem quite safe to order books from
abroad. A gentleman gave me his own experience
in this latter respect ; he had sent for Alison’s
History of Europe, but the work was ordered down
to St. Petersburg to be examined by the Censor, and
was never returned. My own newspapers did not
reach me, and were, I was told, detained on the fron-
tier ; my letters also had, as a rule, been opened.

I had ascertained that the schooner which was to
bring our dynamite had not yet arrived, and might,
therefore, expect that our party at Bussenika, who

362 PIOXEEEIXG IN THE I’AB EAST.

were looking out for the vessel, would succeed in
intercepting her and secure this all-important article ;
and the object of our visit to Archangel being now-
attained, we lifted our anchor early on the 6th July.
It took us some hours to get out of the river, and
the wind being north-east, we kept near the Aich-
angel shore till 8 p.m., making good running; but
sea and wind had gradually increased, and when we
had passed Cape Werrevski, the boat began to
labour heavily. We found she was too deep to rise
easily to the sea, and, in fact, it soon became
apparent that we were not in a condition to steam
against it ; she was taking water over on both sides
and endangering the fires. It was clear that we
could not reach Russenika, and w'e, therefore, deter-
mined to try and cross the Strait, so as to get under
the lee of Lapland, and so reach Bear Island. I did
so with great reluctance, knowing that the men we
had left at Russenika would run short of bread and
other stores ; but, situated as we were, we felt that
we would have reason to be thankful if we succeeded
in crossing safely, for we had heard, and now ex-
perienced, that the strait which connects the White
Sea with the Polar Ocean is in stormy weather
dangerous ; the waves from the ocean here meet the
water washing out from the Dwina, and a heavy
cross-sea is the result, which, for a low boat like
ours, with an unprotected engine-room, is very
dangerous. For four hours we felt that our position
was very precarious. 1 have been in many a gale,

STBANDfNG Of THE ‘VESTFOLD" ON THE COAST

THE WHITE SEA.

363

but never had a tossing like this; but the boat
behaved wonderfully, and about midnight we began
to feel the protecting influence of the land, and as
we gained west, we got more and more comfortable,
and kept running along within about four miles of
the land. When, after a few hours’ refreshing
sleep, I again came on deck the wind had gone
down, the sea was smooth, and we were running
nine miles. I was looking at the chart with the
captain, and we were calculating the time of our
arrival at Bear Island, when a noise, b-r-r-r-r and a
sudden shock, told us that the vessel had struck.
We rushed on deck. It was but too true; we had
stranded, and no efforts of the engine would move
the boat. Luckily, we had grounded on sand, and
we soon found that the boat was making no water ;
but, even so, our position was anything but pleasant.
Though we were within a few miles of the mainland
of Lapland, and a few huts and a fishing-boat were
to be seen, the prospect was a dreary one, if we
should be unable to float our boat, and of this
we began to feel doubtful, as we soon found that we
had run on at, or very near, high water. Gradually
the water left us, and the vessel settled over on her
side. When it had become evident that we could not
get off, I had sent the interpreter to communicate
with the people, in the boat, and had armed him with
the document given to me by the Governor of Arch-
angel, and which now stood me in good stead, for
the people — who were not Lapps, but Russians —

I

64 PIONEERING IN THE FAB EAST.

did not seem very -willing to help us, and would
probably have preferred that the Vestfold should
become a wreck. The water, meanwhile, continued
to fall ; gradually the sandy beach became visible
the entire distance between us and the shore, and
soon we saw the villagers, men and women some
sixteen of them — coming out; they were of the
familiar type of Russian peasants in these latitudes,
a fair-haired, hardy race, all hair, beard, and dirt,
and knowing only one source of happiness drink.
The information we obtained from them as to the
tides, showed us that the only chance we had of
floating the Vestfold was in lightening her.
Luckily, she was very deep ; besides forty tons of
coal, we had taken on board at Archangel a good
deal of timber for propping up the old Eussenika
mines; we soon set to work to throw it overboard.
No time was to be lost, as the tide was again rising
fast ; moreover, there were signs of stormy weather,
threatening clouds were gathering on the horizon,
and the glass was falling. If the storm should burst
upon us before we got clear of the shore, our chance
of saving the boat would be gone. Gradually the
vessel began to right herself, steam was got up, and
an anchor laid out astern. All the wood, and thirty
tons of coal, had been thrown overboard, everything
of weight was being put into the fishing-boat, and,
taking advantage of the confusion, the stores were
got at, as was soon apparent in the condition of
some of our men, as well as of the Russians who

THE WHITE SEA.

365

were working onboard. The boat was moving more,
and as it was now near high-water, all hands got at
the hawser ; the engine we were afraid to use lest
the blades of the screw might break against the
large boulders which were embedded in the sand ;
but we hauled in vain, the boat did not move, and
as the water had ceased to rise, we had little hope
of getting off. “ Kow or never ! ” shouted the
captain ; then a desperate effort, and a shout, “ She
is moving ; again and again, she moves ! Now try
the engines ; she is clear ! ” The Vestfold was afloat
once more. Soon we had our anchor, chains, casks,
and cases on board again, but not a moment too
soon, for the storm was upon us. The day had been
one of such perfect calm, as we had not experienced
since we came to these seas — to it we owed our
providential escape ; but barely were we under way,
at 11 P.M., before wind and rain assailed us furiously.
Anthon had not yet had time to secure his stores
and utensils, and our already much reduced stock
of glass and china was all but finished when the
boat began her old game. Our captain had now
grown wiser, and gave the land a wider berth. I had
endeavoured to engage a pilot from amongst the
villagers, but the only one we could get was a
decrepit old man, who was very drunk, but I was
told that he knew the way to Bear Island, and
nobody else would go. It was a nasty night, at
times it blew with great fury, it was bitterly cold,
and the rain fell in torrents ; then, too, our late

366 PIONBEEING IN THE PAE EAST.

troubles bad made us anxious, and we felt uncertain
as to whether the strain which the boat was now
undergoing might not divulge some damage to her
bottom. The sea before us was unknown, and the
pilot, so far from being an assistance, only exaspe-
rated us and increased our anxiety. A picture of
drivelling idiotcy, partly from old age, but mainly
from drink, blear-eyed, filthy, he had wedged him-
self into a corner on the bridge, near the helm ;
sitting here in imperturbable calm, he would answer
the captain’s anxious inquiries with a vague wave of
the hand westward, or some exclamation, which, as
the interpreter informed us, meant that if we put
our trust in Grod, He would show us the way 5 pious,
no doubt, but in our circumstances scarcely satis-
factory ; in truth, the old man looked more like some
malignant demon bent upon our destruction, than a
pilot intent upon leading us to a safe harbour. But
westward we sped, the Y^cstfold, as if delighted at
regaining her freedom, rushing through the water
at a great rate. And so the night wore on, the
time had come for us to look out for Bear Island ;
soon we saw land on every side, land not shown in
the chart, islands and peninsulas in bewildering
number. But where was Bear Island ? In vain
we appealed to the pilot ; his arm was still feebly
pointing westward ; the sea was white with crested
waves. Still we sped on, past headlands, islands,
rocks, and, perhaps, unseen dangers, we knew not
whither. The captain, poor fellow, worn out and

THE WHITE SEA.

367

anxious, looked at me. What should we do ? was
the mutely expressed query that passed between us.
In truth, it was difficult to say; we saw rocky,
dangerous-looking coasts on every side, but no sign
of habitations or life, bewildering irregular coast-
lines, but nothing to guide us as to the direction in
which to seek for our destination. We believed
that we had reached, and even passed, our island,
and were puzzled in what direction to steer. In
those unknown waters there was no anchorage; it
looked wild in every direction. Just at that moment
of perplexity, the captain pointed to what looked like
a log-house on one of the islands ; the glass revealed
that it was one, and in the general outlines of the
island, I seemed to recognise those of a drawing I
had below, sketched nine years ago by Forster.
The island was now seen from the opposite side,
and, therefore, reversed, but, having the sketch to
compare it with, there was no mistaking the high
hill at the north-western end running out in a low
point towards the south-east ; the little bay at the
north-west corner ; and, above all, on the highest
point of the island, elevated about 200 feet, the
large wooden cross, just as it stood nine years ago,
when Forster sketched it. We now felt our way
towards the bay, and soon we saw a boat pushing
ofP ; it was Stanioloffs men, and he quickly followed
in another boat. We finally anchored at 7 o’clock
on the morning of the 8th July, within two cable-
lengths of Bear Island.

368 PIONEERWa IN THE PAR EAST.

This, tlien, was the little island whichhad been the
object of so many enterprises, where the hardy miners
from Saxony had plodded and worked a century
and a half ago, confidently believing, as the quaint
and pious entries in the records left by them show,
that “God would give luck.” Having myself had
a taste of this stormy sea, I could appreciate the
sturdy determination and hardy endurance of the
men who in those days had journeyed all the way
from Saxony to Archangel, and thence crossed the
White Sea in a boat, which took twenty days to do
the voyage we had accomplished in twenty-seven
hours. They must have worked here for five or
six years, carving out the coveted treasure of the
rocks, under conditions so hard, and with means so
inadequate, that we marvelled at their perseverance.
Our labours would, we hoped, throw some light
upon the work they had done, and what might have
been their reward.

Our arrival at Bear Island was, as will have been
seen, not altogether unprepared for. Mr. Stanioloff,
a Russian gentleman, had, in accordance with an
arrangement between the concessionaire and myself,
been sent from St. Petersburg early in the spring,
when travelling in North Russia is made easy by
ice and snow, to make preparations for the expedi-
tion, consisting in the building of a couple of log-
houses, and the collection of labour. He was to act
for the joint interest of the concessionaire and
ourselves, and, I need hardly add, that it was

THE WHITE SEA.

369

reserved for us to be paymasters ; in fact, tnere was
a general understanding that our Eussian friends
had the experience and we the money, though before
we parted company this position was to some extent
reversed. Luckily, the scope of Mr. Stanioloff’s
operations was limited. Our enthusiastic Eussian
friends, when once they found us committed to our
enterprise, suggested all sorts of impossible but ex-
pensive contrivances for draining and working these
mines, to be brought by Mr. Stanioloff overland
from St. Petersburg to the White Sea. On the
main part of this proposition I promptly put my
veto, but there were certain articles suggested by
their experience as being absolutely necessary,
which I did not succeed in stopping, and these
I found our friend, at great cost, had duly stored
away at Bear Island, where they remain unused up
to the present time ; the log-houses, however, did
us good service, as did about a dozen Eussians,
who turned out very hard-working men.

It may be desirable here to say a few words as to
the character of the country and the people.

Eussian Lapland, or, as it is called, the Kola
Peninsula, contains a population not much ex-
ceeding 10,000, and consisting of three distinct
nationalities, viz. Eussians, Karelen or Finns, and
Lapps. The former, about one-half of the number,
occupy the towns or villages on the sea coast,
buying up such products as the country produces,
mainly salted fish, which they carry to Archangel,

370

PIOXBEEINQ IS THE EAE EAST.

and even 'Norway, bringing in return breadstuffs
and other necessaries. Here, as elsewhere, the
Eussians are enterprising and adventurous. The
Lapps, who are the original inhabitants of the
country, are no longer nomads, but live in winter
in small fixed settlements in various parts of the
interior, changing about, however, three or four
times during the year, according to the necessities
of their reindeer flocks, or their hunting or fishing
avocations. The salmon fisheries are still supposed
to belong to them, i.e. they catch the fish, and the
Russians buy them at their own price ; m fact, the
Lapps are rapidly becoming the bondsmen of the
Russians, who now own the bulk of the reindeer.
The Karelen, as those Finns are called who live on
the western shore of the White Sea, are a peace-
loving, sober, and hard-working people. The Rus-
sians being the traders, and the Lapps the hunters,
the Karelen would be tillers of the soil, if nature
would allow them, but as the soil in these latitudes
yields but precarious returns, they have to support
existence by other means; they become workers
in wood, boat and house builders, and fishermen.

One of the peculiar features in the existence of
these populations is, the immigrations which take
place at certain times every year, about the beginning
of February. Thousands of people living on the
southern, western, and northern shores of the White
Sea may then be seen wending their way across the
snow and ice-covered wastes of Lapland, usually in

THE WHITE SEA.

371

parties of ten to thirty, with a few sleighs, carrying
their poor chattels, drawn by dogs ; their fare con-
sisting of dried fish and reindeer flesh, and bread,
which contains much more chopped bark and straw
than flour. Their destination is the fisheries of the
Northern Ocean, where they hire themselves for the
fishing season to the Norwegians and Eussians, who
have boats and stations for carrying on the fishing,
-drying, and salting business, which lasts till August
and September.

Lapland is only in part wooded, the northern
and eastern parts, nearly two-thirds of the whole,
are pasture, moor, shrub, and swamp ; the western
and south-western part is covered with birch, fir,
and pine wood.

For two days after our arrival off Bear Island
it continued to blow heavily, and it was not till the
10th that the steam-pump and other materials could
be landed. The log-houses had been built on the
shore of a small sandy bay, behind which a pretty
wooded valley extended ; on three sides this valley
was surrounded by heights, of which the central
and highest point was nearly 200 feet, and was
surmounted by a huge wooden cross.

Our first search was for the mines, and these
we soon found, of course full of water, and till
they had been pumped it was impossible to form
even a surmise as to the nature and extent of the
works ; the putting up of the pump was, there-
fore, the first work to be done. We were rather

24 *

072 PIOJfBEBISG IK THE FAB EAST.

short of men, having left so many at Russenika,
but the few whom Stanioloff had engaged worked

well. -u j.

Meanwhile, I enjoyed sauntering about the

island, which is less than three miles in circum-
ference. There were traces in several places of the
old settlement, and in one secluded spot I came
upon a grave with a wooden cross. From the
highest point of the island there was an exten-
sive view of Lapland, showing an undulating, well-
wooded country, with considerable mountain-ranges
in the interior, numerous deep bays and fjords, long
promontories, and many islands. It was a pretty
landscape, but wanting in life : save our little
steamer, there was, as a rule, not a living thing,
nor house, nor boat to be seen over the broad
expanse of land or sea ; but such scenes had been
familiar to me. These unbroken coast-lines of sombre
green reminded me of scenes in the far Bast,
apparently as lonely and deserted as these, though
a nearer view would quickly have revealed the
difference. The stern rigidity of these gloomy fir
and pine woods formed as grim and painful a
contrast to the luxurious wealth and picturesque
variety of a tropical forest, as did the easy and
careless lives of the Malay and Dyak, to the hard
lot of the Lapp and Finn.

The Vestfold had now plenty of room, and, as she
was lying close to the shore, I continued to live on
board. I was not, however, destined to be left long

THE WHITE SEA.

37;i

to myself ; we liad, it will be remembered, landed
the old G-eneral and his secretary at Archangel,
knowing that his presence here would be not only
unnecessary, but embarrassing; and we had con-
gratulated ourselves on the release. It was, there-
fore, with anything but pleasure that I learned, on
the morning of the 11th, that our friends had turned
up during the night, a steamer having dropped them
and gone on. Our people on shore could not ac-
commodate them, and I had to insist upon their
coming on board, which they did very ungraciously.
Their object evidently being to establish a sort of
official supervision over the doings of our people, I
frankly told our old friend that as we did not require
his assistance, I intended to take him back to
Archangel in a couple of days’ time.

As everything was now landed, and Mr. B — —
was busy preparing for pumping one of the mines,
I became anxious to revisit the party left at Rus-
senika, but want of coal and other materials made it
necessary to call at Archangel first, and seeing that
preparations at the mines were progressing, and
apparently would go on without interruption during
my absence, we got under way for Archangel at
noon on the ISth. The sea was smooth, but it re-
mained so only while we had the shelter of the coast
of Lapland. During the night, when exposed to the
current from the northern ocean, we had again a
very heavy sea, the boat was very trying, and rest
impossible ; it was not till seven in the morning of the

374 PIONEERING IN THE FAB BAST.

14tli tbat we began to feel tbe sbeltering influence
of tbe coast north of the Dwina, and early in the
afternoon we anchored off the town, having made
the run in twenty-seven hours. The shipping season
of Archangel was now at its height, several hundred
ships were in the harbour, and steamers coming and
going continually. Having received and despatched
letters, and taken in coal and stores, we again
steamed down the river on the evening of the 16th,
and got to the entrance of the river by midnight.
The longest day was now long past, and the sun
was a couple of hours below the horizon, during
which time there was just enough twilight to give
brightness to the full moon. It was a lovely night,
and we had good hopes that there would be
nothing to prevent our reaching Russenika on this
occasion, but experience had taught us that the
conditions under shelter of the land were no criterion
of what we might encounter off the open ocean,
the force of which our little boat was quite unfit to
cope with. I was therefore watching sea and sky
with more than usual anxiety. I was beginning to
feel anxious about the party I had left behind at
Russenika, whom we were to have seen again within
five days ; and now eighteen had passed. So I was
truly thankful when we reached Cape Katness, at
which point we had to confront the open sea, and
where we had to retreat last voyage, to find the
water smooth, so that we were able to continue
our course to Russenika, which we reached in thirty-

THE WHITE SEA. 375

sis hours. Impatient to see the men, and to learn
how they had fared, we did not anchor at Three
Islands, but steamed up to the cliffs where I hoped
to find the men at work, and that they had worked
to some purpose, as I had learned in Archangel
that the schooner with the dynamite had arrived off
Russenika a day or two after we left it. Indeed,
that our men had dynamite in their possession
soon became apparent; as we were nearing the
cliffs, eagerly scanning them through the glass for
some sign of the party, a column of smoke and a
dull sound attracted our attention, and presently
there was a perfect fusillade of the charges of
dynamite fired by the men to express their joy at
our return. The sea being perfectly smooth, we
anchored as close under the cliffs as possible, and
a few minutes later Richter was on board with
some of the men. Their appearance reassured me
as to their condition ; they had been in want of
nothing but bread, and of this they had suc-
ceeded in getting some from the Russian settle-
ment, Ponoy ; but their supplies would have been
exhausted in a day or two, and, being under some
anxiety as to what had become of us, they were in
perplexity, when our arrival put an end to their
anxiety. As to the result of their exploration,
this had not been so exhaustive as I had hoped :
the old galleries had to be approached with great
caution, particularly as timber for supports had
been wanting ; what we brought from Archangel

376

P10KEEE15G IN IHB PAE EAST.

for tWs purpose had been thrown overboard when
the Yestfold ran ashore. There were also, at the
entrance of some of the mines, considerable masses
of ice to be removed. Of actual mining there had
heretofore been little, but some blasting had been
done in the rock, and I was soon on shore to
examine the result, though getting on shore was
not an easy matter, for h meant the climbing of
almost perpendicular cliffs, some 120 feet high.

The rock which had been brought from the
mines showed a fair amount of copper ore, some of
excellent quality, and, given sufficient time for
systematic working, I thought that these copper
lodes might not improbably prove valuable, but
time was what I could not afford ; the summer
season is short in these latitudes, and the expedi-
tion was to leave the White Sea before the end of
August. The mines on Bear Island were our main
object, to examine which properly required all my
resources; besides, there was great inconvenience
as well as some risk in leaving a small party on
this coast, especially as experience had taught me
that I could not always safely communicate with
them in so small a boat as the Vestfold. For all
these reasons I determined at once to carry the
whole party and materials away. If this could be
done while theVestf old remained with steam up under
the cliffs, it would be a matter of a few hours, but
with the least wind and sea, and she would have to
run to the Three Islands for shelter, and getting off

F-; j

THE WHITE SEA.

377

might be a matter of many days. The sea was as
smooth as glass; it was now near midnight, the
men were hard at work sending the things by ropes
down the cliffs into boats below ; they were anxious
to get away from this somewhat forbidding coast,
and knowing that our work might at any moment
be interrupted, they worked with a will. Down
went the things in quick succession, jumping and
clinking against the rocky wall, to be caught in the
boat below. Though midnight, the glow of the sun
was still in the horizon ; it was that of the setting
and rising sun combined, for in another hour he
would again appear. There was not a breath of
wind ; several ships w'ere lying becalmed, and three
or four steamers were leaving behind them long
trails of smoke resting like huge serpents on the
sea. While sitting dreamily contemplating this
scene, a phenomenon appeared which made me rub
my eyes in doubt as to whether I was dreaming or
awake. Far out at sea there appeared what seemed
to be land with trees, towers, and buildings; yet I
knew that no land was within sight. Presently, the
steamers appeared to double themselves ; a shadow
ship, bottom up, appeared to float in the air. I then
knew that I saw the effect of the fata morgana, and
that what appeared to be land, was, in fact, the
reflection of the coast opposite, though, in reality,
far out of sight. The tower seen by me was a light-
house some thirty or forty miles off. Meanwhile,
the work went on merrily, and soon all would

378

r-'

I; ’ ■ ■

378 PI05»BEEING IN THE FAS EAST.

be on board, with one important exception, tbe
dynamite. The captain and crew of the Vestfold
were not well pleased at the prospect of carrying so
large a quantity as fifteen hundred weight of this
dangerous stuff. But there was a more serious
difficulty, namely, the insurance, and I did not,
therefore, consider myself justified in takin^
aboard. I then remembered that the smack was
lying in the Russenika Creek, some two miles off ;
she Ld at first served the men as storehouse and
dwelling, but the mosquitoes had proved too much m
the creek, and they had finally moved everything to
the cliffs. Delighted at this escape from my
difficulty, I directed some of the men to pull away
to fetch her, when I learnt, to my dismay, that,
having been left on the stones high and dry, she
had become leaky. Here was a great disappoint-
ment; but, leaky or not, it had to be tried, and to
my great delight, in about two hours’ time I saw
them towing the boat up with the tide. She could
float, but that was all, and four men were constantly
baling; but the water was got under at last, and
a raised flooring made for the dynamite, of which
there were thirty cases. How to get the cases
safely down from the cliffs was an anxious con-
sideration; at the best, the rooky wall was an
awkward climb, even without a load ; how, then,
were we to trust the men with cases each containing
half a hundredweight of dynamite on their backs ;
a false step, and the whole of us would be blown to

THE WHITE SEA.

379

atoms. Softlj, anxiously the men commenced the
perilous task; from precipice to precipice, from
boulder to boulder, we followed, with bated breath,
every one of these thirty cnses, till at last they were
all safely deposited at the water’s edge, and thence
quickly transferred to the smack, and then, at last,
all was on board. It was half-past five, as, with the
smack in tow, we steamed away to the White Sea
once more ; it continued smooth, and it was well it
did so, for the least sea would have made it impossible
to keep the smack afloat; as it was, we could hardly
hope to get her to Bear Island, a distance of 240 miles.
A relay of men was constantly at wmrk baling out
the water, which at first, when the boat was being
forced through the sea, increased alarmingly, but
gradually she tightened a little, and as the weather
looked settled and the sea smooth, I became more
and more hopeful that we might succeed in bringing
our charge safely to her destination ; but we kept a
watchful eye upon her, as not only was it quite
possible that she might suddenly open out and go
down, but there was the still more dreaded chance of
an explosion, which would send us all to the bottom.
Our anxiety on this score arose from the reckless-
ness of the men; they had been strictly forbidden
to have fire on board, and I was horrified when,
on close observation, I noticed them with pipes,
smoking on the very top of the dynamite. How-
ever, all went well, and at 4 p.m. on the 1 9th, after
a passage of thirty -four hours, we anchored at Bear

380

HOXEEBING IN THE FAE EAST.

Island. I conW see B and Ms men hard at

work at tke mine, and smoke from tie funnel told
me ttat pumping had commenced. B was soon
on board, and reported all well and good progress
bnt some of the Russian workmen had just left, and
Stanioloff also had gone to the town of Kowda to
recruit. Our reinforcement in men and materials
was therefore most timely; our men would now be
fully supplied with all that was needful to carry on
the explorations effectively, and we might count
upon having five weeks of effective exploring, ihe
dynamite was soon stored and the men housed; the
smack also was beached, and when we curious y
examined her, we found that the planks were only
sewn, literally stitched together, a lonely nail here
and there fastening the shell to the framework. It
was a marvel how she had held together over 240
miles of sea. The engineer had done excellent work
during my absence ; the timber in the top of the
shaft, which was decayed, had been renewed, the
engine had been put up, the pump attached, and
the water had already been reduced some thirty
feet, the shaft was found to be heavily timbered,
and the wood below the water-line perfectly sound,
though now over 150 years old. On the morning
after our arrival I learnt that at a depth of foity-
four feet a gallery had been come upon, which,
when dry, measured forty-three feet towards the
west and 100 feet towards the east ; we found
that these were driven upon a lode of lead ore

THE WHITE SEA.

381

two feet thick. Regular mining was now begun,
the men working night and day in relays, and the
pumps going constantly. B regretted the neces-

sity of taking the men away from Russenika, as he
considered the results obtained such as to hold out
good promise; but however that may be, we had no
choice, we had not the means of keeping both
places at work.

The men having now settled to regular work, I
had intended to make excursions to the neighbour-
ing coast, but the experience of the Vestfold’s men
was not encouraging. A party of them went out
fully equipped for sport, but they returned with one
wretched little bird, having been nearly eaten up
by mosquitoes ; on another occasion they wounded
a reindeer, which I strongly suspect was more a
domestic than a wild animal. There were reports
of bears being about, and as one of our Rus-
sian friends was an experienced bear-hunter, our
enthusiastic party wished again to try their for-
tunes, and they were in luck, for shortly after
landing they found the fresh marks of a mother
with her young. Bear-hunting being a new sensa-
tion to our friends, the near presence of Bruin
had a somewhat exciting effect upon them, and
some discussion took place as to the part each was
to play. Meanwhile, the Russian had advanced
deeper into the forest to reconnoitre ; suddenly the
party left behind heard him fire two shots in rapid
succession, followed by a loud shout. Apparently

382

PIOKEIKING THE EAR BAST.

he was being attacked. Who could wonder if,
under these circumstances, our friends showed some
irresolution, and that, while one or two of them
rushed forward, others— to say the ^ truth— had
bolted ? Our worthy captain took a middle course,
held his ground, and began -vigorously loading his
gun. But it proved all to have been a false alarm ;
the Russian, in fact, wanted to try the nerves
of his companions, and the incident might
not have been worth mentioning, but for the
Bingular effect it afterwards was proved to have
had on the captain, or rather, the captain’s gun;
it was found to be full of sandwiches, which he
appeared to have been ramming in when the bears
had been announced. While visiting the village
IJmba, I noticed that the sheep were brought across
the water in the morning to their pasture and
brought back in the evening, and on inquiry I found
that several nights running, sheep had been kdled
by bears, which the villagers did not seem inclined
to tackle. One of them told us of an encounter
they had had with a bear in the fjord, when Bruin,
having put his paw on the gunwale of the boat,
was only beaten off -with the anchor.

Pumping and mining were now going on in a
steady, business-like manner, and on the 28 th July
we had reached the bottom of the first of the three
mines which we found on the island. It proved
to be 153 feet deep, with four drifts or galleries
measuring in all 524 feet, besides two considerable

THE WHITE SEA.

S83

excavations, but, beyond lead ore of rather poor
quality, nothing valuable had been met with. The
inflow of water was so trifling that we were enabled
to continue mining without using the pumps ; these
were, therefore, removed to the second mine, but
here greater difficulties were encountered, the sea
had flooded it as at Russenika, so here it was clearly
demonstrated that the land had sunk at least three
or four feet since the old Saxons mined here 150
years ago. The excavations and mines which were
now submerged could not have been wrought in
the wash of the open sea ; a wall of timber,
stone, and cement, was, however, so successfully
constructed as to prevent any leakage whatever
when the water in the old shaft a few feet from
the sea had been reduced some eight feet by
pumping ; but lower down it was found that cracks
in the rook admitted the sea, and this was overcome
only with great difficulty ; our little pump, calcu-
lated to throw only 1,800 gallons per hour, was, by
hard pressing, made to throw nearly 3,000 gallons,
and this enabled us gradually to tighten up the
cracks with wooden wedges and cement, but it re-
quired great vigilance and hard work on the part of
the men, who were at it night and day. This was
the principal mine of the old Saxons, and the one
that had yielded all the silver, and as the lode
on the surface was several feet thick, showing
rich lead ore, we were in hopes that the excava-
tions below, would reveal something to reward us

384

PIONEEBING IH THE EAE EAST.

for our labour. Inch by men me waier vv<.»
reduced ; tbe slow progress we made, in spite of
the large body of water steadily pumped out,
showing us that tbe excavations we were draining
were extensive. The rocks overhanging and sur-
rounding the top of the shaft looked dangerous, and

- - ’ ' • but lower

timber had been constantly under
•fectly sound and substantial
We watched the dark caverns
with much in-
men had made

heavy timber supports had to be put in

down, where the t

frozen water, it was per
and well put up.

as they slowly revealed themselveS;
terest. The ladders, of which our
an ample supply, were scarcely needed, as those the
Saxons had left, which we found in the mines, were
perfectly sound. To descend was, however, at first
a dangerous task ; a great quantity of seaweed and
slime had been washed in from the sea, the narrow
ledges of rocks overhanging dark and unknown
depths were thus made slippery and doubly
dangerous ; gradually, however, all difficulties were
ovemome, and by the 16th of August we had
drained the mine. The shaft proved to be ninety-
four feet deep with eight galleries and large
excavations ; as in the first mine, so here the miners
worked regularly night and day, blasting with
dynamite. Lamps and hand-pumps, left by the old
miners, were found, and our men admired the sub-
stantial and workman-like manner in which their
operations had been carried on. Having made
arrangements for keeping the water under, we

THE WHrTE SEA.

385

moved tbe pumps to the third and last mine on the
island. These three mines, though unconnected,
were within a few hundred yards of each other,
and again we went through the same labours ; but
though these extensive works, executed with com-
paratively rude appliances, and under circumstances
of great difficulty, undoubtedly indicated that some-
thing had been got to induce such expense and
labour, we yet came upon nothing very promising ;
the lode, which on the surface was strong, branched
out in depth in thinner veins, possibly to reunite. But
it was not our object to be content with possibilities.
We were led to expect that substantial evidences of
mineral riches would be found when these galleries
and caverns should be explored. That these were
driven in genuine silver-carrying lodes there was no
doubt, but the precious metal had, as the old records
show, been found in intermittent pockets, not in
constant supply. At intervals lucky blasts had
revealed bunches of it. Our miners, who had had
experience of similar mines, were not disheartened
by the present aspect of affairs. Anxious to fire
the lucky shot, and so obtain the reward I had
promised, they worked away with a hearty good
will ; night and day the old galleries resounded with
the dull booms of the dynamite charges, and, hard
though the rocks were, we added a good many feet to
these galleries. Very expectantly did I watch the
buckets as the products of these blasts were brought
up to be examined in daylight. Each day brought

386

PIONEBEINQ IS THE FAE BAST.

US nearer to the one fixed for our departure ; but
the 27th o£ August arrived without revealrag the
looked-for treasure, and we began to feel somewhat
disappointed.

Meanwhile there were other old workings on the
mainland mentioned in the manuscripts, which also
were to be examined. One of these was near the
town of Umba, about twenty miles ofE; selecting a
fine day, we steamed down the coast to the entrance
of the narrow fjord on which the village is situated.
Such inlets are very numerous on this part of the
coast, and form excellent harbours. This village,
which contained about 500 inhabitants, was prettily
situated in a hilly and well-wooded country, and with
the usual domed and bright-looking little church to
set it off, it looked quite pretty as we steamed up
the narrow water; but a nearer view showed that
the log-houses were in but indifferent repair, and that
Russian untidiness and dirt pervaded the place. A
fine salmon stream has its outlet near the village,
from which the villagers supplied us with some
fish caught in nets, our attempt to catch them with
the fly having failed. The greater part of the popu-
lation was absent, this being the fishing and trading
season, and but few women and children were left
to watch the sheep and cattle, the latter being very
puny and so long-haired that it required close in-
spection to distinguish a calf from a goat. The
Russian settlements here appear to have a very
poor and stationary existence. There are about

THE WHITE SEA.

387

fifteen or sixteen sucb. villages on the coast of Lap-
land, altogether scarcely numbering 5,000 inhabi-
tants, with one or two exceptions on the south
coast ; most of them are several hundred years old,
without having apparently undergone much change.
In one of these villages I was shown a log-house still
inhabited, originally put up at Bear Island by the
Saxon miners, and after their departure removed
to this village ; they had also the picture of a saint
framed in silver, given them by the Saxons from
the mines. The natives, in fact, appeared to have
a strong belief in the existence of silver in these
mines ; tli jy doubted our power to remove the
water, but when the news spread that this was
being accomplished, parties used to visit us at the
mines, showing keen interest in what was going on,
and stimulating our zeal by wonderful traditions
handed down to them as to the riches their fathers
had seen. But neither did this visit to Umba nor
a similar trip along the western shore of the White
Sea result in any valuable discoveries, though in
both cases we found mineral deposits of copper and
lead, upon which those wonderful old Saxons had
tried their luck ; but the more I saw of their doings
the more I became confirmed in my belief that these
mining adventures had been conducted by a reckless
man, entrusted with the vast resources of the Rus-
sian Government, in money and, above all, in men.
The entire population, then slaves, had been at
his disposal; vast sums must have been spent.

38S

PIOISEBEING IN THE TAB EAST.

and it seems unlikely tliat they breught adequate

retorns. , , _ ^4:

Yet Baron Scbonberg, we are told, was a man o

culture and great ability, wbo bold a ^esponsibk
position in bis own country, and became a cmirtan
Ld a man of fashion at tbe Russian Court, and bad
it would seem, for mining purposes, a choice oi
localities in tbe entire Russian empire. Under t ies*
circumstances he must, it would seem, have bad som.
strono- motive to induce him to select tUe coas o
tbe Polar Sea for exploration, and it is incon
ceivable that be should have carried on the work
to such an extent unless there was some encourage
ment; but whatever may have been the returns i
some of the works at Russenika and Bear Island,
was clear, in many of the places, that considera
expenditure in money and labour had then bee
incurred without sufficient justification.

These operations on the coast of Lapland spres
over a distance of 250 miles, and we saw at lea
twenty-five difierent workings, many of them,
has been shown, on a large scale, and arranged ai
secured in a manner which would even now be co

mi

mil

Biiilifi

llllll

THJS WHlTli SEA.

389

tools, blasting materials, and mining-implements of
every kind were rude and insufficient ; the rock he
had to work in was very hard. Under all these cir-
cumstances, whatever my mortification at seeing so
little apparently to justify our labour, I could not
help feeling admiration at the indomitable energy
and perseverance of which these dark caverns gave
evidence, and I examined with deep interest all
the various implements which the receding water
brought to light.

The peasants from the neighbouring villages, who,
as already stated, used to visit us at Bear Island,
were probably the descendants of the very men who
had assisted in doing the wonderful work which we
were now revealing to their astonished eyes. Their
forefathers had worked as slaves, and Schonberg’s
operations had probably been a curse to them ; but
if these old galleries should hold out promise of a
renewed great industry, under an English manage-
ment, blessings such as these poor, half-starved,
and neglected Russians, Lapps, and Karelen could
hardly conceive, might yet be theirs. And who
that, like myself, had pitied their condition, blighted
alike by nature and by man, could help feeling
satisfaction at the thought that some amelioration
might be effected in the lot of these benighted
races?

The conditions under which the mineral lodes
occurred here were such as to offer great facilities
for working them. The people are well adapted

390 PIONEBEISG IN THE EAB BAST.

for the wori, and there can be little doabt that a

saoeessfiil minmg enterprise would ta*”" ^

blessings both directly and indirectly. The to
trade, which is neglected, and the ashery, which s
monopolised, would receive a new developmen .
and, Ltead of enriching only a tew Enssian traders,

would beneat the entire people.

If the deadly effect of the Busaian systena were

not, indeed, a trite subject to moralise ““

micht well wonder for what purpose ambition
prompts the Muscovite to extend his empire over

P ^ 1 i • a Tlip result of exteii"

these desolate regions, ihe ^

Sion hitherto has been to place these few stea -
gling tribes of human beings in a condition mo
Lfrable than the one in which «

ijere. Whatever freak of nature, or of man s wil ,
destined these poor Samojedes and Lapps to wander
to dreary tundras of these ice and snow covereu
lands, they led, at any rate, in their earlier state,
to free life of nomads, owners of flocks of their
beloved reindeer, of the flsh of the sea and of he
wood of the forests ; but now, step by step to
Eussiau, mere enterprising and crafty, reduces
tom to bondage, and while the Russian peopte
thus wreaks its will upon a weaker race^ the
Government does nothing to protect the unhappy

victims. . ,,

The Russian uniform is, indeed, seen even m the

wretched villages on the dreary Lapland coast; but
only to add to the misery of the people, whom these

TBE WHITE SEA,

391

officials must squeeze in order to increase the
miserable pittance paid them by their Government.

It seems grotesque, upon God-forsaken coasts in
the Arctic regions, to find officials enforcing red-
tapeism in all its rigour ; yet so it is, nay, even in
the dense gloomy forests which cover the north-
west coast of the White Sea, the home of the
bear and wolf, the poor peasant is not free to fell
the timber for the miserable log-hut which is to
keep out the snow and icy blasts from the Pole.

Never was any race of men more to be pitied
than these. To have developed amongst them an
enterprise, such as the one we had in hand, would
indeed have been a blessed work ; but it was not to
be, and it was with deep regret that I saw my hopes
decrease from day to day.

But before we came to the end of our explorations
I had once more to cross the White Sea to Arch-
angel, to lay in supplies of food and materials. I
left Bear Island on the 7th of August at seven in
the morning, again making the passage in twenty-
eight hours, the last few hours being in a heavy
sea, the precursor of a severe gale which we just
escaped. On the 15th, I once more anchored off

Bear Island, anxious for the news which B

soon brought me ; but it was not of a cheering
character — the bottom of the mine had been reached,
and nothing valuable was in sight. And, in fact, up
till the 27th, the day appointed for our departure,
we met with no better success.

392

PIOKBEBING IN THE iAlv fiA&i.

Sea tad not, I must confess,
one. The season had been
IS I had never slept on shore
and the Vestfold, even at her
good deal, I had not had
I had made some dangerous passages ;

in the mines, when the old
shaken by the dynamite charges, gave
and, finally, the want of success
me on leaving. On the
to congratulate myself
as far as time permitted,
and without a hitch; men
efficient for the purpose,
difficulties of any
of illness, though we
of the men had

My stay in the W Hite
been a very cheerful
unusually stormy, and
,£ the whole time,
had rolled a

durin]
anchorage,
much quiet
the safety of the men
galleries were
me some anxiety
in our object depressed
other hand, 1 had reason
that the work had,
been effectually done,
and material had proved
and there had been no disputes or
kind, nor had we a single case
were thirty-four all told, and some
been a good deal exposed ; the temperature, too,

was very changeable, ranging from fifty to eighty-

six degrees.

On tha morning of the all onr preparations

for departure were eomplete. The do, was dne, but
already there were signs that the short summer was
coming to an end ; it had been freezing during the
night, and at noon the thermometer showed fifty-
three degrees. Our passage to Archangel turned
out rough, and we did not reach that port till 4 r.M.
„„ the 2Sth of August, iust sixty-six days after our

friends

THE WHITE SEA.

393

in St. Petersburg, I determined to return home
overland, and so, having seen the Vestfold equipped
for the homeward journey, I bade my friends good-
bye and God-speed, and she left Archangel on the
31st of August, calling at the same ports as on the
voyage up, and finally arrived safely in Christiania.

On the 1st of September, I started for St. Peters-
burg. My route took me up the Dwina as far as
Siya by steamer, from thence by a country cart
(tarantass) to the lake of Onega, then across the
two large lakes Onega and Ladoga, and from
thence by the Neva to St. Petersburg. The journey
took me eleven days, and, though very fatiguing,
was most interesting. The first part of the journey
to Siya, a distance of about a hundred miles, was
accomplished in a large, comfortable steamer. I had,
by the way, nearly lost my passage, owing to the
unusual circumstance that no drosky was to be got ;
the horses of Archangel were, I was told, all in
church.

“Not, surely, on their own account?” I asked.

“Yes,” was the answer; “all our horses are
taken to church once a year, to be blessed.”

Fortunately, a friend of mine, who came to bid
me good-bye, and who took a less serious view of
his horses’ religious obligations, lent me his drosky,
and at 4. p.m. we left our moorings and steamed
pleasantly up the Dwina. Having seen how Russian
passenger steamers are at times crowded with
unsavoury-looking moujiks, and having had some

B94 PIOSEEEING IN THE FAE EAST.

misgivings on tHs score, I was agreeably surprised
to find that tbe crowd of third-class passenprs
was embarked in a barge to be towed by us.^ s i
was somewhat venturesome to make tbis journey
without a knowledge of tbe Bussian language
seeing that, as regards means of conveyance,
should be entirely at the mercy of the peasants, I
was looking out on board for possible companions ;
but they were all Eussians, and there were appare^p
none with a knowledge of any other lanpage The
great man on board was a colonel, the head of the
secret police in Archangel district, but if the colonel
were the head of that rather unpopular depptment
of State, I was told that the wife was the head o
the colonel. As it was evident that they might p of
much use to me, I obtained an introduction to him ;
but as he only spoke Bussian I could make nothing
of him, and introduced myself to his wife, with
whom I managed to converse, and she promised
that the colonel would assist me. Not trusting
much to this, however, I subsequently formed p
alliance with a young forester and his wife, who
were going to St. Petersburg, and, having more
luggage than one tarantass could carry, were de-
sirous of having a companion who could relieve
them of some. They spoke Bussian only, but my
interpreter effected an understanding between us,
and we managed to get on very well on the journey.
Our boat was an extremely comfortable one, and
the fare excellent; the forepart of the ship was set

THE -WHITE SEA.

39i

apart for second-class passengers who, as true
Russians, drank tea to an incredible extent, Gretting
up early, and finding that the saloon attendants
were not yet astii-, I went forward, and, seeing the
steaming samovar, took my seat at one of the small
tables. I was leisurely sipping my tea, intent on
some book, when a stentorian voice close by caused
me to look up. Standing before me was a monk,
of huge stature, who, with folded arms, looked at
me in what appeared to me anything but a friendly
way; he was addressing me fiercely, but I was
unable to make out his meaning, except that he
wanted to know my nationality ; but as the man’s
attitude was insolent, I did not feel disposed to
gratify him, and contented myself with calmly
looking at him, which seem.ed greatly to exas-
perate him. He named almost every nationality in
Europe, and, still obtaining no response, got greatly
excited, and at last furiously shouted “ Turkey ? ”
The Turkish War was then at its height, the
Russian armies being baffled, and the country
disappointed and angry ; and this was evidently a
fanatical monk, probably fresh from the sacred
shrines of the Solovetsk Monastery. When, therefore,
moved by some impulsive whim, I nodded my head
when he shouted “ Turkey,” he broke out into what
was clearly a volley of imprecations, and seemed
inclined to follow up with an assault; but, as I
remained passive, he forbore. Such demeanour
was, as far as my experience went, quite unusual

in the Enssian people, and I could only attribute it

to fanaticism. .

Arriyine at Siya means arriving at the opposite

bank of the river, and this oircumstanoe was, as
will be seen, the cause of mueh inconvemence to
myself. Wereguired two boats to cross m, and the
Steamer had only one to spare ; of course the colonel

the ladies, and some military men took it, and we

had to wait till the dirty, haggard-looking monks,
under whose convent we landed, coul ^

boat. This delay gave the others a start, which hey
kept • they took the horses at the stations, and. at
the best, gave us the jaded ones. But neither was
Siya on the opposite bank, it was three versts
inland; deep, soft sand, upon which we were landed
with our luggage, and no tarantass in sight. The pas-
sengers (amongst whom were two energetic young
ladies, travelUng quite by themselves to study
medicine at St. Petersburg) had all got away,
and, strange to say, the only person left was the
colonel, sitting in solitary grandeur, in full
on the top of a great pile of boxes -Madame
le Colonel, I should say, being about half a mile
off. She had taken up a position on the top of a
sandhill, so aa to intercept any tarantass coming from
the village, which was not really three versts from
us, but a creek was between, and tbe villagers had
to pass by the hill upon which the lady sat. Seeing
how matters stood, and appreciating the importance
of being in time at tbe station in the village, to get

THB WHITE SEA.

397

horses, I thought I might outflank the lady, and,
sending the interpreter, who left me hero, across the
creek, I in fact secured the first tarantass for con-
yeyance of my luggage to the station. I felt some
compunction when passing the lady with ray luggage :
the day was very hot, and the walk to this hill
through the deep sand had evidently distressed her,
yet she declined, with a slight toss of her head, my
proffered umbrella ; but she had her revenge, for
they got away first after all. This station was
the first of twenty-two before we should reach
Vytegra, on the lake of Onega, and it was not till
5 P.M. that I succeeded in getting a start — and such
a start ! I thought that, after the first mile, it
would be impossible to continue this for several
days, it seemed to shake one to pieces. A tarantass
is a small, four-wheeled country-cart, without the
ghost of a spring ; it is drawn by two or three small,
lean, miserable-looking ponies, which probably the
most sanguine costermonger would hesitate to put
to his cart. I used, at first, to set out from a
station with many misgivings, and some com-
punction ; but, strange to say, these miserable-
looking screws, veritable bags of bones, were very
fast, and wonderfully enduring. The stations were
from eighteen to twenty-eight versts apart, usually
twenty-five (about seventeen miles) ; the usual
speed was nine versts per hour, but at times they
did as much as eleven, at others, when the road was
very bad, only seven. Most of the stations have

898

PIOHEEEING m THE FAB EAST,

two, ttree, sometimes four rooms ready for trav oi-
lers, where they eau eat and sleep, but will get

nothing but hot water in the samovar. I had, thanks

to Anthon’s forethought, brought a basket with
some tinned meats from the Vestfold-, I had also
my own tea and sugar. I suggested joint commis-
sariat with my two travelling-companions, but the
lady seemed to prefer the food to which she had
been accustomed in the Petchiora, where she and
her husband had spent the first three years of their
married life— and a stern life these northern Siberian
solitudes must have been for a young woman, very
lady-like as she was. 1 induced her to try some of my
preserved delicacies, which, though common enough,
were quite new to her ; but she preferred her own
pickled cucumber to my peaches, and her smoked
herring and caviare to my potted meats and patties.
But my delicacies soon came to an end, and, what
was worse, my bread failed; nor was it possible to
get a wash. I do not think such a thing is known

to Eussian peasants, who content themselves with
an occasional steam-bath. I once, at a station,
tried to get to the well, but only once. The houses
•were always surrounded with a sea of mud and
when you travel five nights and days without being
able to change clothes, moving often in drenching
rain from one tarantass to another, with your nest
of fur-pillows, rugs, hampers and luggage, all of
which at each change become more damp, dirty,
and unsavoury, every pool of mud is carefully

THE WHITE SEA.

399

to be eschewed; so I preferred to remain un-
washed. We had, unfortunately, a great deal of
rain, and the roads, or what were so called, were
simply lines of mud, intersected by little rivulets
and pools, through which the wretched ponies floun-
dered, the cart bobbing, pitching, and creaking —
at one moment sending you upwards, bringing your
head in sharp contact with the hood of the vehicle,
to descend again with equal violence — the driver
always watching the wheels with an uneasy look,
impressing you with a feeling that you might at any
moment find yourself deposited in the midst of
these endless pine forests, with the additional com-
fort that your driver, as a rule, is a child. One of
them (a capital whip he was) reached to the third
button of my waistcoat, from which I know that
he was three feet eight inches high. Another little
fellow was a trifle taller; he, too, whipped away
bravely, keeping up, as is their wont, a constant
flow of talk to their horses, that seems to have
more effect than the whip, which is not a very
formidable one. Eepairs to the harness, or, in other
words, the tying together of odds and ends of cord,
constantly breaking, were of momentary occurrence ;
presently the whole harness came off. It certainly
was the most audacious arrangement for securing
a horse to a cart I ever saw ; even the driver of
my companion’s cart, who luckily was behind me,
grinned a broad grin when he came to our assist-
ance. Somehow the wreck was secured again, and

400 HONEEEIN0 IN THE FA-B EAST.

mv little driver, looking triumphantly at me, cried

Z"nitcWo” (never mind), and a.ay we

went again, but not for long; presently one of th

beastsfell helplessly, and my

„p ,a,lant^ « -

and began erymg but by

as to where my nights lodg g ^ o+ation

dint of patience and exertion tre reached a station

1 last Altogether, this drive to Vytegra was
pretty stiff work, and I was longing for a wash a
Ted and a good meal when we should reach that

Iwn but I had counted somewhat without my

host. Though Vytegra is a town with some 3,000

inhabitants, there did not appear o J .

and visions of comfort all vanished when we cam
to the post-station. I could get no room, and when
I asked for a basin of water,

cupful, offering to pour it mto my ban . „

had this ablution, I went m search of “

with this, the scanty remains of my mue - “

^vender, and the samovar, I had to content myself .

1 was happy, however, to be able now to toke leave

of the tarantass l henceforth my rou e ■ •

burg would be by water. Our journey, for he firs
three days after leaving Siya, had been roug
' ly pine-forests, but during tbe las. two days

L Jd passed through a fine, open agricultoral

country, with more appearance of well-being
iry pmt of Bnssia I had seen, either towards
MoscL or the German frontier. The monasteries

THE VrSITE SEA.

401

and churches which dotted ' the landscape here and
there were a pleasing relief, gaudy and picturesque
as they always looked from a distance, with im-
posing, bright-coloured domes, which, however, on
close inspection, often turned out to be woodwork
of no great pretension.

Nest day, at noon, I embarked in a small steamer,
where most of the party from Archangel met again ;
a couple of hours’ steam down the river brought
us to the lake Onega, There was a good deal of sea,
and most of the ladies suffered in consequence.
Mrs. Colonel held out gallantly for some time, but
had at last to yield, which she did with very ill
grace, and looking very indignant. At 6 p.m. we
arrived at Vosnesenie, a town on the western shore of
the Onega ; here we had to wait for the larger
steamer, which was to take us to St, Petersburg,
and which did not arrive till the following day.
Meanwhile, comfort and cleanliness remained un-
realised. Not having been in bed since leaving
Archangel, I had escaped the attack of those dis-
turbers of night repose which are so prevalent in
Russia ; but for any immunity which I had so far
enjoyed I paid the penalty in Vosnesenie.

Next morning, the 9th of September, I embarked
in a large, comfortable steamer, a boat of at least
500 tons, but, being flat-bottomed, appearing much
larger. Leaving the Onega, we entered the river
Svir, which connects the two great lakes, Ladoga
and Onega. The sail is a very pretty one ; a strong

402

PI05EEB1&G IN XHE EAST.

current carries you S^viftly do^TO this very ending
stream, till, after several hours’ steaming, yon
emerge on the broad bosom of Lake Ladoga, which
we found to be somewhat boisterous. There was
quite a heavy sea, which seemed strange m an mlan
Lsh-water lake ; but the lake is so large that you
are, at one time, almost out of sight of land. Gross-
ing the lake, which takes several hours, the first
object that meets the eye on approaching the source
of the Neva is the grim fortress Schlusselburg ; you
are then within about forty miles of St. Petersburg,
the approach to which city is heralded by factories,
workshops, and ship-building yards. The vicinity of
a large city became more and more apparent, till at
last its gay and gilded domes lay before me, and I
realised that my wanderings were almost over, and
that once more I was on my way home.

403

INDEX.

A.

Aimaden mines, 309.

Alien, 342; copper mines at,
344.

Antimony ores, 132 ; mines,
138.

Archangel, trade, 357 ; town of,
358, 361 ; horses in church,
391. ■

A.riraa, 285.

Asam temple, 297.

Atango temple, 295.

Australia, voyage to, 200.

■■ ■ 'b:

Badjoo, 13.

Bali, , anticipations concerning,
2-1 0 ; arrival at, 11 ; descrip-
tion, 20 ; eruptions, 22 ; ..pi'o-.
duee, , 24. ; , cattle, 25 ; cock-
fighting, 26 ; origin of name ,
30 ; Hinduism, in,. 32 litera-
ture, 34 ; temples, 37; shape
of, 39; money, 40 ; life in,
41 ; trading, 41 ; part taken
by women in business trans-
actions, 42 ; houses, 45 ;
slavery, 54; justice in, 55;
superstition, 57; suttee, 57-
65 ; Dutch wars, 66 ; de-
parture from, 71 ; revisited,
196.

Bali Bado^ig, 20.

Balinese carts, 26 ; industries,
27 ; cotton, 28; pottery, 28 ;
salt, 28; fishing trade, 29';
boats, 29; dress, 29 ; vene-
ration for monkeys, 31 ;
castes,. 35; religious shows,
52 ; cock-fighting, 54.

Bangkok, arrival at, 114.

Bangli, 21.

Ban, 156.

Bear Island, 367.

Bear Island mines, 371, 383.

Bear-hunting, 381.

Beliling, 20.

Bishop of Lahuan, 160.

Bodo, 34 ] .

Boers, visits to, 5 ; their feel-
ing then to wards the English,

6 .

Borneo, 123 ; aboriginaltribes,
148 .; , colonists .from Java,
148 ; coast view of, 129 ;
Dutch dependencies in, 124 ;
return to, 204.

Borneo Company, formation,
161 ; prospects in 1860, 206 ;
support given to Bajah
Brooke, 289.

Brooke, ; Sir James, early his-
tory,126; arrival at Kuching,
127 ; development of trade
by, 137; conduct of during
Chinese insurrection, 178;
effect of Chinese insurrection
upon, 214; and Captain
Brooke, 215 ; dispute as to

I

i

i

INDEX.

Brooke — cont

succession, 215 ; teBtimoniai .
to, 218, 223, 230; letter to !
Mr. Charles Brooke, 228.

Brooke, Captain, return to
Sarawak, 204; dispute wth
Sir James Brooke, 215 ; lia-
iah Muda, 219-232; reply to
statements, 224 ; banishment
of, 235 ; installation of, 235-
238.

Brunei, Sultan of, l^e-

Buddhism, Japanese, 279.

Buddhist priests, an encounter
with, 114 ; temples, 280.

Burd, John, 15.

c.

' Chinese — eont.

155 ; their money used in
Bali, 40; secret _ societies,
159; settlements in Borneo,
154: sufferings of, 191.

Christiania to Trondhyem, e>6/.

Cochin China, French missions
in, 107 ; French settlements,
258, 259.

Cock-fighting at Bali, 26.

Commerce, failure of treaty or,
with Siam, 109.

Commission of incLUiry, the
Sarawak, 129.

Copper lodes, ^4.

Court, the, at Kuching, 134.
Crookshank, Mr. and Mrs., at-
tack on, 167.

Calantan, Eajah of, 111-
California in 1850, 72 ; re-
visited, 302; produce, 305;
cultivation, 308; quicksilver
mining, 315 ; roads, 317 ;
landscapes, 318.

Calistoga, springs of, 321.
Cambodia, 94; former ap-
proach by the Mekong, 95 ;
ancient capital of, 102 ; king s
palace at, 102; results of
visit to, 108 ; Mug of, 258.
Canton, visit to, 72. ^

Cape of Good Hope, The, arnvai
' . at, 4; stay at, 5.

CMua, first visit to, 72 ; second
' ■ ' ■ visit to, 257. _

CMnese as pioneers, 247 ; emi-
grants to Borneo, 253 ; com-
pared witli Japanese, 308 ;
their cookery, 106 ; in Upp^r
Sarawak, 157; in Kuching,
170 ; expelled from Kuching,
180; their influence in the
East, 255 ; insurrection, 164 ;
labourers, 158; labourers at
San Francisco, 83; labourers,

: , . recklessness of, 244 ; miners,

D.

Daimios, abdication of, 268.

Dancing-girls, 51.

Banoos, or lakes, 23.

Datu Haji, conspiracy of, 205.

Becima, island of, 268.

Bewa A gong, the, 20.

Bjembrana, 20.

Dolores, mission of, 85, 87.

Butch, wars with Bali, 66;
camp, the visit to, 68 ; peace
with the, 70 ; dependencies
in Borneo, 124.

Djaks, Hill and Sea, 127.

Byak thief, 133^; paths,
traps, 144; villages, 146
tabu, 146; houses, 146
religion, 149; cremation of
the dead, 150; belief in
ghosts, 151.

E.

Edwards, Governor, letter from,

211 .

Elephants, manner of hunting,
by the Stiens, 101 ; a jour-
ney on, 107.

i

INDEX,

405

Emigration from India to the
Eastern Archipelago, 266.
England, first view of, 1.
Enoshima, 299, 809.
Exhibitions, Japanese, 280.

F.

Eairbairn, Mr., letter from,
229.

Eata Morgana, 377.

Fossil forest, 322.

Fox, Mr., mnrder of, 205.
Franciscan missions, 86.

French colony in Cochin China,
269.

G.

Gading mountain, 154
Gamalans, 48.

Geyser springs, the, 323.

Gian jar, 21.

Gold-diggings, 188.

Gold mining in Sarawak, 157.
Golden Gate, the, 76, 92.
Governor of Labnan, unwise
interference of, 208 ; dis-
approved by Government,
211 .

Gunong Agong, 11.

Gunong Eatta, 48.

H.

Hammerfest, 346.

Head feasts, 152, 189.

Hiogo, 269.

Hong Kong, 259.

Hot springs of Calistoga, 321.
Hughes, Mr., letter from, 227.

I. ,

India, emigration from, to
Borneo, 256.

J.

Japan, visit to, 263 ; arrival in,
268; empire of, 264; his-
tory of, 265 ; European in-
tercourse with, 266; Portu-
guese, 266; Dutch in, 266;
American treaty with, 267 ;
revolution in, 267.

Japanese boatmen, 264 ; towns,
270 ; dress, 271 ; houses,
272 ; custom-house, 271 ;
funerals, 273; good manners,
276 ; tea-houses, 276 ; thea-
tre, 288 ; bath-houses, 287 ;
tea, 287 ; fondness for flowers,
289 ; gardening, 290 ; tem-
ples, 279, 296-97 ; progress,
808 ; students, 803.

Java, colonists from, 148 ;
Dutch rule in, 197.

Jeddo, 292-94.

Jesuits in Lower California,

86 .

Jiniikshas, 271.

Jungles, Bornean, 140.

Juries at Kuching, 184.

K.

Kanagawa, 291.

Karang Assam, 20.

Karelen, 369, 370.

Kassiman, Eajah, 44 ; visit to,
46 ; defeated hj the Dutch,
68 .

Kassumba, 21; attacked by the
Dutch, 67,

King George’s Sound, 202.

King of Siam, the old, 112;
death of, 113 ; the new king,
117 ; his education, 118 ;
audience of, 119 ; letter from,
121 ; the second king, 118.

King, Mr., Mr. Lange’s rival
trader at Lombok, 15, 16.

IxN'DEX.

Ladoga lake, 400.

Lakes in Bali, 23.

Landak, 156.

Lange, Mr., arrival at house of,
12 ; description and histoij
of, 15 ; at Lombok, 16; Ms
flight from Lombok, 17; Ms
establishment at Bali, 18 ;
political agent of the Dutch,
18; Ms garden, 25; Ms cha-
racter, 71 ; death of, 198 •
Lannun pirates, fight with,

' 212 . . . .

Lapland, Russian, 869-71.

Lapp fishermen, 850, 856.
Letters, Sir James Brooke to.
his nephew, 221, 226, ■ 284 ;
from ' Mr, , Knox, 226 ; Mr.
...Hughes, '227;, Mr. Fair-
■baim, 229.;' Oaptain .Brooke
■ to^Sir'. James. Brooke, 288,

, 28.4. . .. . ,

Limestone caves in SarawaK:,
''.152."'

Bogo,842. T,.

Lombok, Mr. Lange at, 15 ; his
flight from, 17.

, 'Loppen, 842. .

Low, Mr. Hugh, account of
Sarawak, 240.

^>6

Kioto Exhibition, 284; citj of,

277 .

Klong-kong, 20; rajahs of, 21.
Knox, Mr,, letter from, 226.
Kobi, 270.

Kola Peninsula, the, 869.
Komput, 96, 97 ; Governor of,
98. '

Kotta, streets of, 26, 27^ . _
Kuching, plunder of, 174; im-
proveme.nt in, 241,

Eungsi, the, 159“'65.

M.

Macdougall, Bishop, 160,
Majapahat, kingdom of, 88.
Marujania, 281.

Mekong river, second visit, 258.
Mengoi, 21.

Mentrado, 156.

Meodjen temple, 298.

Michaels, General, 67.

Midnight sun, 841.

Mikado, 265.

Mission at Dolores, near San
Francisco, 85, 87'; to Sara-
wak, 160.

Missionaries, French, sufferings
of, in Cochin China, 107, 109.
Mobrcm, 16.

Mohammedans, 152.

Monkeys, veneration for, 81.
Monteiro, 98.

Mosquitoes, 354, 859.

Mount Lincoln, 821.

Mount St. Helena, 820.

Muda Hassim, 127.

Muka, feud at, 194 ; expedition
to, 207; visit to, 209; sago
factory, 212.

N.

Kevada, travelling in, 827.
Korth Borneo, importance of,

North Borneo Company, 249 ;

prospects of , 250,

North Cape, the, 845.

Norway, coast scenery, 840.

O .

Occidental Hotel, 804.

Onega lake, 401.

Opium taxation, 159; trade,
165.

t

J

i

INDEX.

407

Orioff, Cape, 346.

Osaka, 278.

Otidong, starting for, 98 ; jonr-
nej to, 99 ; arrival at, 101 ;
return from, 107.
Ourang-outang, storv of an,
32.

Ouro, 342.

P.

Padang, 20,

Paknam, arrival at, and recep-
tion, 113.

Pamali. See Tabu.

Pangeran Dipa, 195 ; hostility
of, 207.

Pangeran Matusin, 194.

Pirates in China, 73 ; in Gulf
of Siam, 96 ; ill-treatment of
their captives, 213.

Ponoy, 350, 353.

Pontianak, 193.

Pope Yalley mines, 312.

Q.

Quicksilver mines, Bornean,
243 5 discovery of, 244.

Eajahs, visits to, 112.

Eichardson, Mr., murder of,
291.

Eesignation of Eajah Brooke,

222 .

Enssenika river, 347; country
near, 350.

Eussian fanatic monk, 395;
drivers, 399 ; hospitality,
adventurous character,

Eusso-Turkish war, .832,

s.

Saigon, 109, 258.

St. Elmo, lights of, 72.

Spencer, Mr. St. John, memo-
randum by, 232.

St. Petersburg, 331 ; Arch-
angel to, 393.

Sambas, Chinese in, 156.

San Francisco, harbour and
shipping, 76; the first gold
found by Johann Sutter at,
77; description of, 78; ex-
periences at, 82 ; fire at, 83 ;
Chinese labourers, 85 ; pro-
gress of, 305.

San Jos4 307.

Bangara, visit to Eajah, 112.

Sarawak, fiirst arrival in, 130 ;
life in, 132, 135 ; antimony
mines, 138 ; gold diggings,
139; ancient remains, 153 ;
limestone caves, 153 ; peace
restored, 192 ; succession,
dispute as to, 215 ; Mr. Low's
account of, 240; trade and
resources, 243 ; quicksilver
mines, 243; present condi-
tion and prospects, 248.

Saxon miners in Lapland, 387.

Schonberg, Baron, 388.

Shanghai, 261.

Shiba temple, 294.

Shintooism, Japanese, 2 78.

Shiogon, the, 265 ; abdication
of, 267.

Siam, decay of trade, 94; Sir
James Brooke’s mission to
conclude treaty of commerce
with, 94 ; mission to, 95 ;
Gulf of, 96; negotiations
with, 109; produce and
trading commerce, 115; cus-
toms duties, 116; audience
of King, 118 ; letters to and
from King, 121 ; education,

408

IKDEX.

Bimi—cmt [

117 ; treatment of tlie dead, ^
121 ; presents from, 122. ^ '

Simonosaki, Straits of, 269. j ‘
Singapore, voya^ from Cape j
to, 6 ; description of, 7 ; tke ^
shipping at, 9 ; tigers at, ^10 ; ,
return to, 74 ; from, to Siam, |

110. i

Sinjawan, 157. , j

Sirib Miisahor, expulsion of, i
203; at Muka, 209;' dan- ;
gerous interview with, 219 ; ;
leaves Borneo,. 212. ;

Siva, Balinese votaries of, 85. i
Sija, 396. . I

SomdetPhra Parra Manda, 121. |
iSfee King of Siam. |

Spain, Jealousy of, 249 ; power *
of, in the Archipelago, 249. j
Stanioioff,. Mr. , 368. |

Steel, Mr., murder of, 205.
Stiens, the, their manner of
hunting, 101.

Stjeren Sound, 342.

Sumatra, landing on the coast
of 7

Sumbava, eruption at, in 1815,
23.

Suttee at Bali, account of, 57,

■,,,■65..

Sutter Johann, 77.

Sydney, 201.

Svir river, 401.

Tegora quicksilver mines, 244.
■Tigers at Singapore, 10.
Tocaido, the, 290, 300.

Treaty of commerce, failure to
establish, with Siam, 109.
Tringanu, landing at, 110.
Tromso, 342.

: Trondhjeni, railway to, 337
; departure from, 339.

UHb Eiord, 342.
Uniba, 384.
Utah, 327.
Umot-trin, 151.

I Yadso, 345.

I Yenno Temple, 298.
i Vestfold, the, 350 ; aground,
I 363.

i Yolcanic eruptions, 23.

1 Yosnesenie, 401.
j Yytegra, 400.

Water Lily, arrival of, 193.

I White Sea, the, mines in, 329 ;
departure for, 337 ; entrance
of, 347 ; mines, 388.

Tabanan, 21. , Ur i oqo

TaranUss, travelling in a, 397. j Yokohama, 289.

ft.; i~ i Ntc Df-fei »•:*

>J U 'J